Kindness

Short-story writer and MacArthur Grant Fellow George Saunders gave a speech earlier this year at the graduation ceremony for students at Syracuse University, advising them to “try to be kinder.” Here are the highlights from his speech, from a transcript Saunders sent to the New York Times:

On his regrets:

So here’s something I know to be true, although it’s a little corny, and I don’t quite know what to do with it:

What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness. 

Those moments when another human being was there, in front of me, suffering, and I responded…sensibly.  Reservedly.  Mildly….It’s a little facile, maybe, and certainly hard to implement, but I’d say, as a goal in life, you could do worse than: Try to be kinder

The more present I am for myself the better able I can respond with more kindness
Working a program showing up for this precious life