The Kindness of Strangers

Kindness starts at home.

The glorification of art and diligence and the punishment of gluttony and earthly pleasure by Jeremias van Winghe, c. 1590 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons)

“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” — William James

Have you noticed how we tend to be on our best behavior when we’re around total strangers?

We warn our children not to “act up” in public, for fear of… what, exactly?

That we’ll be embarrassed? Outed as heathens?

And yet, in the privacy of our homes and boardrooms, we’ll let loose on our family and business colleagues who know us best.

It’s a strange twist when we’ll be kinder to people who have no relation to us than we will to the people who actually matter: customers, significant others, colleagues.

I’m reminded of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, in which Blanche Dubois heads to her sister’s apartment—a place she knew she neither belonged nor was wanted.

One night, in a fit of rage, her brother-in-law Stanley raped her. To ma…