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What is the difference between being kind, compassionate and coddling someone?
Kindness might not look the same for everybody, but we can always control our internal intention. We can do our best to listen and take others’ needs into consideration.
Some acts might have the appearance of kindness but are in fact disguised condescension or harm. That’s coddling. As author Seema Desai put it on this edition of Quick Hits, there’s a difference between saying “You look like you’re having a hard time. Would it be helpful if I x, y, z? Versus, ‘I see you don’t have that done. So I’m just going to go ahead and do it for you because you’re probably too busy to do it anyway.’”
When we’re kind to someone, we take their perspective into consideration. If they want us to back off, the kind thing is to back off. We coddle them when we act on their behalf just because we don’t see them as capable of acting on their own. Coddling is never kind.
Better Conversations founder Simon Coles added that coddling “is a fairly one-way relationship. Whereas you can be kind and compassionate to somebody and they can be kind and compassionate back to you tomorrow.”
My third guest, communications consultant Philip Tate, summed it up clearly: “Kindness is a two-way street.”
I am grateful to the kindness that these three great minds showed in sharing their insight with me and I hope it’s helpful to you as well.
What do you think? Does kindness ever bleed into coddling someone?
Connect with the panelists:Philip Tate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philiptateaprfellowprsa/
Seema Desi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seema-desai-dds/
Simon Coles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjcoles/
Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/
Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/
#QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com
#Kindness #Coddling #Compassion
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By DrRobynKindness might not look the same for everybody, but we can always control our internal intention. We can do our best to listen and take others’ needs into consideration.
Some acts might have the appearance of kindness but are in fact disguised condescension or harm. That’s coddling. As author Seema Desai put it on this edition of Quick Hits, there’s a difference between saying “You look like you’re having a hard time. Would it be helpful if I x, y, z? Versus, ‘I see you don’t have that done. So I’m just going to go ahead and do it for you because you’re probably too busy to do it anyway.’”
When we’re kind to someone, we take their perspective into consideration. If they want us to back off, the kind thing is to back off. We coddle them when we act on their behalf just because we don’t see them as capable of acting on their own. Coddling is never kind.
Better Conversations founder Simon Coles added that coddling “is a fairly one-way relationship. Whereas you can be kind and compassionate to somebody and they can be kind and compassionate back to you tomorrow.”
My third guest, communications consultant Philip Tate, summed it up clearly: “Kindness is a two-way street.”
I am grateful to the kindness that these three great minds showed in sharing their insight with me and I hope it’s helpful to you as well.
What do you think? Does kindness ever bleed into coddling someone?
Connect with the panelists:Philip Tate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philiptateaprfellowprsa/
Seema Desi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seema-desai-dds/
Simon Coles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjcoles/
Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/
Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/
#QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com
#Kindness #Coddling #Compassion