Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together.’ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

The Golden Chain of Kindness

“Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together.”— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I have always believed that kindness should be at the root of everything we do.

That may sound like a very simple idea, but perhaps kindness is supposed to be simple. It doesn’t always need to be a grand gesture. It can be noticing when somebody needs help, making room for someone who feels uncomfortable, or simply treating another living creature with gentleness and respect.

My love of animals has always been part of this. I have been vegetarian for many years because caring about animals isn’t something I can switch off when it becomes inconvenient. Our home has included cats, visiting cats, a rescued pigeon and even foxes waiting hopefully at the back door. Animals do seem to find us—although Rob’s habit of feeding them may have something to do with it.

Each one has its own personality, needs and peculiar little ways. Caring for them means being patient, observant and accepting them as they are. In many ways, the same qualities matter when caring for people.

Throughout my life, I have wanted to help people feel more confident, comfortable and understood. That has influenced my years in teaching, my work with young people and, eventually, the creation of Artish. Creativity gives us a wonderfully gentle way to reach people. Nobody has to arrive with the right words or the confidence to join in immediately. Sometimes sitting quietly with a pencil, a piece of yarn or a lump of clay is enough to begin making a connection.

I don’t believe kindness is weakness or sentimentality. It takes strength to remain kind when life is difficult, to look beyond somebody’s behaviour and wonder what may be happening underneath, or to offer patience when impatience would be much easier.

Kindness also has a way of travelling. One thoughtful action can change someone’s day, and that person may then carry it forward to somebody else. That is why Goethe’s description of it as a “golden chain” feels so meaningful to me. Every small act becomes another link, quietly joining people together.

I certainly don’t always get everything right. None of us does. But I hope kindness can be seen in the way I live, the way I work, the way I treat animals and the kind of spaces I try to create for other people.

Because talent, success and achievement all have their place—but if kindness isn’t somewhere at the centre, I’m not sure any of them mean very much.