Saturday, August 6, 2011

Noblewomen or Hypocrite?

Watch me make my way around a crowd, say at a Shabbos Kiddush.
As much as I like to think of myself as a good person, there are definitely people I have no patience for, not to speak of those I have a really hard time bearing. While I go around saying hi to everyone and catching up on the superficial but courteous aspects of life, try to pick out the people I dislike or do not care for.

It's a game I play with myself fairly often.

A game I know I win when I make the recipients happy. I leave them feeling good about themselves through a smile, a little compliment or an insignificant sentence that shows them I cared enough to notice them: " I saw you walking on X Street 3months ago!!".... ( When in reality, my visual memory is out of control)

So hmmm, since I am able to be nice and friendly to everyone even though I don't always mean it, does that make me a noble person or the biggest hypocrite?

4 comments:

  1. I think it's noble to overcome your first instinct to avoid these people...
    הוי מקבל את כל האדם בסבר פנים יפות
    That is a talent you possess.

    However if you see that you're practicing flattery more than you are genuine conversation, you'll begin to feel alone in a crowded room. It gets tiring IMO.

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  2. I think its just being courteous.We cannot be expected to be best friends with everyone. I just posted something about this exact topic.

    http://aminspiration.blogspot.com/2011/08/dont-shoot-messenger.html

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  3. Being nice to others is a big thing. Being nice while feeling put upon isn't being a hypocrite (I have a post on this saved somewhere). You're being a mensch to care more for other's feelings than your own comfort.

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  4. It's not about how you feel. It's how you brightened someone else's day and gave them a feeling of value by being nice to them.

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