Being kind isn’t the same as being nice. It isn’t about superficial praise. It doesn’t mean dulling your opinions. And it shouldn’t diminish the passion with which you present them.

Being kind is fundamentally about taking responsibility for your impact on 
the people around you. It requires you be mindful of their feelings and 
considerate of the way your presence affects them.

http://boz.com/articles/be-kind.html

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