I recently talked with a close friend who seemed weighed down, not by a single major event, but by repeated encounters with people who prefer sharpness over reason. It made me realize how often cruelty appears not as chaos, but as casual indifference. Cruelty, disrespect, and dismissive tones are behaviors that make life harder simply because someone could not control their own actions.

Let me be clear: this can be avoided. I reject the old saying that misery loves company. Misery does not seek company. Rather, it needs care, accountability, and sometimes restraint. What often happens is that people project their unresolved frustration outward, causing collateral damage in places they never take the time to examine.

Here’s a truth we often overlook: we do not really know what people are carrying inside. Years ago, a friend shared a story about her mother, a nurse who quietly struggled with depression. At work, she often faced constant little slights. There was nothing obvious enough to raise alarms, but enough to hurt. One day, she smiled and laughed through it. She excused herself, saying she needed to go home briefly because she had forgotten something. Sadly, she never came back. She took her own life, leaving two young girls behind with no mother.

That moment is sobering because it shows how reckless we can be with each other. It uncovers how easily we underestimate the importance of our words. It also shows how confidently we assume that someone else’s silence means strength, not survival.

This is not about tiptoeing through life, but it is about responsibility. If we cannot show kindness, the least we can do is avoid causing harm. Self-awareness is never optional, nor is emotional discipline or being a good steward of how you impact others’ lives.

To those who have faced unnecessary harshness, I want you to listen clearly: someone else’s inability to control themselves does not define your worth. It is a failure on their part to care. The truth is that the world does not need more sharp edges. It needs people who understand that presence carries power and that how we treat others can either ease a burden or deepen it.

Kindness is a manifestation of maturity. Please also always remember that it is required.

Humbly,

Coach Erika