What do you think:
Is it better to be right, or to be kind?
Many years ago when I was going to college I had a
roommate who kindly gave me rides from time to time
when I needed them because I did not own a car.
One evening this roommate offered to take me with her
on a shopping trip to a local mall. After arriving at
the mall we agreed upon a time and place to meet back
again and went our separate ways to do our shopping.
At the appointed time I returned to the agreed-upon
meeting place and waited for her, expecting that she
would be there within a few minutes. Well, a few
minutes soon turned into more than half an hour, and
my impatience got the best of me.
When another student I knew happened by, I decided
to get a ride back to the dorm with her instead of
waiting any longer for my friend. I figured it would
be a good way to "teach her a lesson" about keeping
commitments and being responsible. After all, I was
"right," wasn't I?
My roommate finally returned home about 2 hours later,
looking tired and totally devasted. Apparently she
had searched every inch of that shopping mall looking
for me, fearing something serious had happened. When
she saw me sitting comfortably in the apartment the
look on her face changed first to shock, then to hurt
and anger as I told her matter-of-factly how I had
decided to go home with someone else because she was
late.
Yes, I was "right," (she had been late) but my way
of proving I was "right" caused this dear, kind
person a great deal of unnecessary pain and hardship.
It totally destroyed our friendship and left her
reeling emotionally.
Was being "right" worth the price? Was being "right"
more important than being kind?
Did I even give any thought to the possibility that
something serious might have happened to *her* that
night at the mall to make her late? Of course not.
The only person I was thinking about or caring about
at that time was myself. How sad.
I see things differently now. Thank God for that.
Choose to be kind. Then you'll always be "right."
Recommended Additional Reading
Emotional Health: Do We Need to be Right?
