Welp, I finally found the time to make another post! Full-time employment is quite a beast. Lately, I've had a scene from The Hobbit running through my mind, and it's something I wanted to share with anyone who may have missed it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWvNjVp3C-c

"Saruman believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay... small acts of kindness and love."

On top of being a fine example of the writing and acting in this film, this scene really touches on a truth that goes to the very core of what it is to be human, and I believe that's what makes it so powerful. The ancient Stoics believed that, by virtue of their shared faculties of reason, all men were brothers, and ought to treat one another as such. That was the basis of a just and good society. All of humanity is interconnected, and small acts of kindness and love have a tendency to resonate and inspire others to act with kindness, thus bringing about more good than one might expect from such a seemingly unimportant gesture.

Especially in today's society, it's so easy to look at the problems of the world and feel powerless. There are more than 7 billion people on this planet, and the notion of doing something to massive enough to effect positive change in any appreciable fraction of those lives is incredibly daunting. However, this apathy, this feeling of powerlessness, is unfounded. You may not be someone great and important, capable of leading nations or creating powerful art or controlling large amounts of money, but you can still make a huge difference in the lives of others with just the simplest of kindnesses. Mankind is interconnected, so improving the life of one, even if it is just by making them smile and brightening up their day, improves the lot of everyone. And if everyone just did what they could to treat those around them not as strangers, but as their brothers and sisters, the world would be vastly improved - those small acts of kindness and love could effectively hold the darkness at bay.

Think of all those who took time out of their day to show you kindness and love, whether it was big or small. Chances are, you wouldn't be where you are today without the consideration others showed for you. Now, it's on you to return the favor and ensure the continued flourishing of humankind. So go out, and help make the world a better place in your own little way. Even if it doesn't seem like much, it's the right thing to do, and you may find that it reaps rewards far greater than the little bit of effort it takes. After all, as a certain yellow pony says, "sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness."