What cool timing for this question. I just watched something that described “ubuntu” (not the software company, but the actual meaning): “I am what I am because of who we all are”. The person (Chris Abani) was talking about how the only way to be human is to have our humanity reflected back at us.
I am often pessimistic, but I try, as hard as I possibly can, to avoid treating anyone badly. I enjoy making people smile, helping them in whatever ways I can. Even holding doors open for people in public spaces makes a big difference in people’s days sometimes. No one ever expects it, at all anymore, so as much as it makes me feel good to see that I’ve made a very small gesture of kindness, it also makes me a little sad sometimes about how surprised people are by it. There’s a stupid sappy commercial that was playing on TV at some point, about people “paying it forward”, and I think it would be completely awesome if stuff like that actually happened.