Neil Gaiman is such a boss. · 9:43pm Apr 19th, 2015
30seasons asked:
Dear Neil, I am a horrible person. How to be kinder, please?
neil-gaiman:
Sometimes I suspect we are all horrible people. Or at least, we are human people. Same thing. We are impatient, judgmental, irritating and irritated, grumpy, easily offended and the rest of it.
So how to be kinder if it doesn’t come naturally?
Fake it.
Fake it a little bit at a time.
Because there isn’t actually any difference between doing something nice for someone because you are naturally saintly and perfect, and doing something nice for someone because you are secretly demonic and trying to cover it up. It’s still an act of kindness either way, and you still made their lives better.
Smile at people. Say hullo. Ask about their lives. Remember what they’ve told you about their lives. Do small things to try and help them. (They will not know you are horrible, do not worry. They will just perceive that you are helping.)
Give people the benefit of the doubt. Remember that it’s more often stupidity to blame than evil, that everyone can screw up (including you) and what’s important is learning from that.
Think “What would an actually kind person do now?” – and do that. Don’t beat yourself up when you fail. Just be as kind to yourself as you will be to others – even if you have to fake that.
And good luck.
That's... a rather good argument.
Thanks for sharing this with us.
We're not telepathic. Unless you tell someone what your motives are, they aren't going to know. As such, the angels and the devils will both seem perfectly nice if they behave angelically. Your halo may be a fake, but there's no harm in wearing it.
Reading this in his voice, I realize that he is the mirror-universe nice Professor Snape.
I drew way too many parallels with that argument.
Who knows? Maybe if you fake being a good person long enough, you'll slip up and actually BE a good person.
I knew Neil Gaiman was my favorite author for a reason....
Who is 30seasons, and did this really happen?
This is advice more people could use.
Wonderful man, Gaiman. Thanks for sharing.