The real index of civilization is when people are kinder than they need to be.
— Louis de Bernieres
Novelist Louis de Bernieres' marvelous notion of civility as "surplus kindness" arrived in my inbox today thanks to photographer Peter Ralston.
The word kind, meaning "doing good for another," derives from the Old English word kynn, meaning "family."
Kynn was borrowed from kunją the ancient German word for "kinfolk." (Kunją survives today in the German words Kind, meaning "child," and Kinder, meaning "children.")
Just as telling, the word kindness in Old English (kyndnes) also meant "surplus."
So "surplus kindness" is a redundancy.
Except that there's a shortage of kindness in our nation today.
We need to fix our supply chain problem.
Quickly.
