Phew, right? Who can say they’ve got basic interactions down pat, 100%. I even think of horses and other animals who’ll lie in wait for a weak moment, just because they can.
But moral leaders of every stripe urge the thinker to choose “better” behavior. There’s “Turn the other cheek” and “Spiritual growth.” “Be the better person” and even “Work on the foundation of your next life.” Some religious practices specify one leaves the dirty work for the deity in charge. In a workplace, HR expects a calm, fact-filled report to follow up with. So will an attorney, who will be in charge of the dramatics in the resulting courtroom.
Unkindness as bad behavior, lasts. It ruins careers at every level.
Unkindness is so unpopular that when it travels with theft and bullying, laws often support its dealer getting dealt. Others posit, the weight of bad behavior will push down the scales all by themselves. In “The Sociopath Next Door” Dr. Martha Stout says she’s quoting Gandhi in saying the bad guy always loses. The just ending is promised, but sometimes it’s a long wait.
Cosucoe 