Is kindness a human trait?

Question

If one is without kindness, how can one be called a human being?
-Sarada Devi

Namaste

Peace and Love

Answer 1

no, it is a Godly trait, implanted in Humans.

Answer 2

Sarada Devi obviously never had a pet. Kindness in not exclusively a human trait but something common to all sentient beings.

Answer 3

Yes, I sense that ( i think everybody does if one think hard in the final analysis)

Imagine : the FIRST human Family is possible & existed & has been extending up to now (6 billion plus human beings) - Then there must be Kindness built in & winning over UnKindness over the long course of history

Hence, it is a Duty of everyone to practice & spread Kindness all over the Universe to ensure the Survival of human race

Love & Peace

Answer 4

In some humans...just like in some humans, the ability to play basketball is a trait. Would you say someone is not a human being because they can't dunk a ball?

Kindness evolved as a trait because it has an evolutionary advantage, which is well explained by Richard Dawkins in "The God Delusion." However, like nearly all characteristics, the trait is dominant in some, recessive in others.

Answer 5

No, but some have it more than others. Some children are BORN with it, so, it isn't learned, & it isn't taught in this case. Some humans are born flat out mean spirited. But they're still humans. Of course environmment has a great impact, but "kindness" can't really be taught; it's there or it isn't. We can blame anything under the sun for "bad" people, but they are who they are--& humans are humans. Period.

THANK YOU meerkatz 007. I've learned more about love, kindness & sensitivity from my cat than I have from most humans.

Answer 6

I like to think that humans are generally inherently kind, and the rest of it is learned stuff.... The word "no", is one of the first words taught to children.... when a toddler is reaching for the hot stove, or misbehaving, we don't think of some other way to handle it, we just up and say "no". But then, that is alot simpler way to go about setting boundaries for children.... that is the first word they learn from grownups, though.....

Answer 7

One would hope. The survival instinct from our reptilian brain (look it up) does not concern itself with kindness. Survival can be an overwhelming issue when that is what is foremost in your experience. It takes a conscious decision to restrain yourself - look at what happened to all those people who got locked up in New Orleans during the flood.....absolute mayhem.
People will be "nice" in order to get along. True kindness comes straight from the heart.

Answer 8

To judge one who is sufficiently overcome by their own fear as to be incapable of expressing kindness, as less than human, is an act of cruelty.

I'm not familiar with the author of the quote, but I suggest there is a limited understanding of the function of love. In the face of unkindness, love does not move to judgment, but to compassion.

Phil

Answer 9

I believe it's more of a learned response (like attracting like) but I don't believe that children are born unkind.
It would be a very different world if kindness was a trait, and the one I'd prefer to live in.

Answer 10

The are physically human but an ability to empathize and help is crucial for us. I think that most of us feel warmth and kindness for people of the world. For the ones who don't I think that it is a result of how they were nurtured, bad experiences, or personality disorder. To answer the question yes they are still human.

Answer 11

I think it is a portion of humanity that needs to be nurtured in order to grow. It begins relatively small I think. Little kids are selfish and sometimes mean. You can see true human nature come out in children, who have nothing to hide and know nothing of the ways of the world.