Admiring Patience and Kindness in Others

Something that sparks my admiration is watching people choose kindness over anger or frustration. Sometimes it honestly boggles my mind how people can be so generous and sympathetic in situations that I feel would call for a more intense reaction.

For me, I’m easily irritable. If I’m out driving around, I have zero patience for bad drivers—the ones who don’t signal, who drift out of their lane, or who drive erratically. It feels like a storm inside my car with how reactive I get. It’s an automatic reaction I can’t seem to control. I’ve tried really hard to stay positive, think big, give others a little leeway… but I’ve realized my patience runs very thin.

It’s not that I’m not a kind person—I am. I’m just easily frustrated when things don’t go accordingly. If I’m getting off of a plane, for example, it’s only right to let those in front of you go ahead first. But sometimes, people like to act like they own the world and will try and pass you up. That kind of behavior gets under my skin. I can’t stand the rudeness, the disrespect, the sheer audacity of it. It infuriates me.

But in moments like those, I watch other people respond with patience. They’re the type who forgive quickly, who carry this steadiness about them. They exude patience, care, and an ease I’ve always admired.

When I go out to eat and the restaurant gets my order wrong or the food comes out cold, I’ll complain, mope, and honestly lose my appetite because I’m turned off by it at that point. But other people? They just sit there quietly, kindly ask for their meal to be remade, and happily go back to waiting without letting it ruin their mood.

Honestly, I yearn to have that kind of patience. I genuinely admire these people so much. Because kindness in calm moments is easy. But kindness during a hectic situation? That’s a choice—and to me, that’s strength.

Because I know how hard it is to stay soft when you’re overwhelmed. I know how tough it can be to respond with grace when your brain feels scattered, your emotions feel heavy, or you’re just trying to get through the day. Kindness—real kindness—shows up when the person offering it has every reason not to. And every time I witness it, I’m reminded of the kind of person I’m trying to become.

What kind of kindness do you admire most in others?

“Be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people.” — Karen Salmansohn