Nothing gets me more wound up in life than when people are ungrateful, when people misuse the kindness of others and take people’s actions for granted. An experience I went through or I could say I am going through involved me truly stepping out of my comfort zone and going out to help a friend. To be honest, am sure a lot of people will say “ah, Funke you’re preaching to the choir, these things happen daily and one must not take it seriously”. But the problem is I do.
Why does it get to me? It bothers me greatly as I believe ungratefulness is a fundamental human failing. When we go out of our way for others, others need to understand that they have no rights of entitlement and that what they receive, whether its emotional or any other kind of gesture is not a given, not a freebie (No one likes to run a charity). It bothers me because people’s ungratefulness creates a situation where we as humans slowly but surely become much more of ourselves and for ourselves than for the care of the world outside.
A friend used to sit me down and say that human beings all get what we deserve in time and that I should treat anyone that treats me with some distaste nothing with nothing but good but that I should give it time and the tables will be turned. It’s so hard to do, to give it time and watch people act with such ungratefulness and not be able to dish them a taste of their own medicine.
So, do I view humans differently now? Not necessarily but I will say I have reduced expectations of humans as I believe it was my high expectations of gratefulness that got me in the situation to start with. What is that saying again, you can’t change their behavior but you can change yours.
“Love people who hate you. Pray for people who have wronged you. It won’t just change their life…it’ll change yours.”|| Mandy Hale