Some people think kindness means gift-giving.

Or being polite.

Or smiling when they talk to you.

But kindness isn’t just surface-level behavior. It’s not a “look how thoughtful I am” performance. It’s not throwing money at a situation or showing up with a card while ignoring the root of a problem.

True kindness is how you treat people when there’s nothing in it for you.

It’s emotional awareness.

It’s listening.

It’s taking ACCOUNTABILITY.

It’s being honest and consistent even when it’s not easy or pretty.

If someone hands you a present while also avoiding every hard conversation and refusing to acknowledge harm they’ve done.

That’s not kindness. That’s a transaction. That’s image management. That’s comfort over connection.

Let’s stop confusing niceness with kindness.

They are not the same thing.