A thoughtful person knows what other people want, need or feel and try not to upset them. Being considerate or thoughtful towards others makes one a great human being. You really feel content and peaceful when you think about others above yourself. It does not require much skill, just a deep thought before you act or do something and realise how your actions affect the other person. Be it leaving your seat for an old person in the bus, helping someone who finds it difficult to cross the road, offering food to a child who is begging or turning off the tap you find on the road just to save water- it all requires thoughtfulness. While doing all this does not require much effort, skill or energy, it surely will make a difference in society!
Understanding is the synonym of thoughtfulness. One cannot be thoughtful without being understanding. They are the two sides of the same coin. Being understanding help us predict what people might feel in a certain situation. It means taking a look at a situation from another’s point of view. As there are different personality types, circumstances, situations, so it’s hard to know exactly how two different people will react to the same environment. Being understanding doesn’t involve much. It only takes opening your heart to appreciate what someone feelings or experiences.
To understand what understanding is, someone has rightly said:
“Walk a mile in my shoes!”
- Kirti Bisht, The Doon Girls' School, Dehradun