Being Kind Is Not A Virtue

I am talking about being kind, not kindness. Let me take you a decade back. It must have been 2007 or 8 when a neighbour complained to my mother that I wouldn't touch her feet. My mother praised those who'd do so and shamed me for not doing it. I remember thinking, "how are they so stupid? Do they not understand that touching someone's feet is just an empty action that takes no effort?" You can touch someone's feet yet absolutely hate them. It has nothing to do with respect but with virtue signalling.

It is no different from Americans' saying "how are you." Those words are empty, which is why I used to call them out for being socially inept. I would tell them to say "what have you up to?" or "what have you been doing?" Once, a guy later told me that his social interactions improved by making that change. Nevertheless, there were socially undeveloped folks who thought that being nice was actually nice. If being nice was nice, everyone can be nice. If everyone can do it, it may not be a virtue. Every girl can be promiscuous. Few can have restraint. Thus, restraint is a virtue; promiscuity isn't. Finding food in a buffet is not a virtue; finding it in the wilderness is. Similarly, everyone can be kind. It takes no effort. Thus, it is not a virtue. Kindness may be a virtue, but it is hard to know if someone is genuinely in the state of kindness because it is an abstract noun.

Fake virtues create three obvious problems. First, they create fake people and fake cultures. You can be kind yet not be kind. You can ask "how are you" yet not want to listen at all. You can be caring yet not care at all. You can touch feet yet have no respect at all. Second, people start to conflate virtue with political correctness, rituals, religious practices, and social courtesy. Third, fake people morph their untruth into fake virtues to manipulate people. I remember guys in the American South would fake Churchianity only to get laid with Churchian girls. They could fake it because Churchianity is not a virtue. All fake virtues can be faked. Those who like fake virtues can be fooled. Honestly, they probably deserve it for being so out of touch with reality and proud like Churchain girls who got taken advantage of.

Kindness is a tool that weak men use to hide their untruth.

On the contrary, you can't fake telling the truth. You either tell it or not tell it. If you want to be virtuous, speak the truth and courageously face the consequences. Most don't do it. They can't. They are weak. That's why telling the truth is a virtue.