Kindness is the ultimate strength.
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Your online reputation. You can research for days on how to build it, how to maintain it, and how to protect it from naysayers. But at the end of the day, your online reputation really is just you and your nice words. From the overpopulation of internet trolls, we can see kindness is one of the human qualities people forget to take with them when they start flicking through their mobile phones. Let’s get back to the root of kindness: Nice words for others.
Kindness Is The Ultimate Strength
It’s a big world out there. And the internet adds a whole extras layer of uncertainty, anonymity, and trolling to that equation. While we’re collectively trying to find our footing on how to ethically conduct ourselves online, Gary V has already proclaimed it – Kindness Is The Ultimate Strength. Mr.V goes on to explain,
“I’m so excited to get people to understand kindness is real, raw, powerfuland the opposite of weak, people are always so worried that people will take advantage of their kindness without realizing that you can’t be taken advantage of when you have nothing to lose. Give kindness without expectation.”
We are living this one life together and it only makes it easier for everyone to go that little extra kind mile. Just even going that extra kind inch would work tenfold in making the world a better place and enrich your online reputation too.
How To Use Your Nice Words
The old adage holds true. Think Before You Speak. Here at Swomi, we believe "Your Words Have Worth" (it’s our tagline too!). And it’s fundamental to be accountable for the words you speak to others.
Here’s a good little exercise to help you speak kinder. These three questions will help. One, is what you are about to say kind? How would you feel if someone said it to you? Two, is it true? Amidst all the fake news and unverified information online, there’s no need to add more lies to the world. Three, is it necessary? Sometimes, it’s better to get along and be happy rather than feed your own ego and be “right.” No one was ever hurt by a kind word.
The Internet Never Forgets
If being a kind, overall better human being isn’t motivation enough to use nice words, just remember, the internet doesn’t forget. Everything, yes everything, you do online is being tracked, recorded, and filed. Content you publish online, stays online. Forever.
Use your words wisely because the internet never forgets. Future employers will do a search of your name and you may be really regretting posting those photos of you wearing a tinfoil hat upside down in a tree house (yeah, we won’t ask about that either). In this way, your digital footprint is more permanent and fragile BECAUSE the internet never forgets and content lives forever. In your real life, your missteps and slip-ups may go unheard or unnoticed. Don’t fool yourself. When you are online, you are being watched my many eyes.
Word Up:
It doesn’t take much, just a little more intention and awareness. Kindness seems to be sorely lacking these days, especially in the online world. Our mission at Swomi is to value people. That means prioritizing relationships and bringing back meaningful connection to the online world. Using nice words for others in our speech and our online content is just one simple way to start.
source: huffingtonpost thoughtcatalog michael-bonnell.com positivepsychologyprogram
