How kindness manifests

I've been thinking a bit about kindness in the context of manifestation. How come some people appear unctuous and kind until you hear them go behind their friend's back? Or others sulkily sit in the corner of the room and you can't help wondering who they are. This is not meant to categorize people. Rather, I hope understanding that kindness manifests in people differently will inspire us to give everyone a chance, no matter whether they're smiling when they see us or look blank.
 

I believe there are four primary kinds of people when it comes to the manifestation of kindness. Some people appear kind because they genuinely are. I have an immense amount of respect for these people who believe in the best in others, ask others how they're doing, and seem sincerely concerned about other people's wellbeing. I have a friend on Snapchat who periodically asks me how I'm doing. Just out of the blue. We start a little streak and she always asks out of true kindness with no strings attached. She doesn't want anything from me or ask anything of me; she just wants to know how I'm doing. Thank you, EL, for showing me true kindness on both the inside and out. 

On the opposite side, there are people who appear overtly nice when you talk to them. These people spark great conversations, they give great advice on the spot, and they're energetic about life. While these people are few in number, I've learned to notice them when you for simple favors. They sort of…crack in these moments. They make quick excuses not to help you out on simple, non-time consuming tasks. It's not that these people aren't nice, they are. They just need to focus on themselves before focusing on helping their friends.

Then there are the people who aren't as kind and don't care to hide it. They're vicious on the outside and it's hard to reach them inside. Too often they're ignored by folks who "don't want to trigger them" but in turn this often backfires, leading to greater degrees of self-doubt. I seek to understand these people. While few in number, I don't believe people mean harm to the world and that everyone deserves a chance to be heard and understood. After all, experiences influence our actions more than anything so there may be a reason why some people have a darkness buried within. 

And then I've noticed a fourth kind of person. Again, I don't intend to categorize people and this is from my mere observation. They're the people who live with good intentions, to be kind to the world and people. But they don't show it. It's shrouded behind a scowl, a frown, a blank stare, or skepticism. These people are kind but too often they're not given a chance to show it. People falsely perceive just the frown instead of what lies beneath it. These are the people who also need to be given a chance to show themselves. Maybe some simple ice-breaker questions such as tell me about a funny moment is all that it takes. Maybe it will take more. 

I share my observations here because high school taught me that not everyone can walk around with a smile, can comfortably sit down at any table in the dining hall and have a conversation with people, or feel comfortable enough with themselves to attend massive social gatherings. But too often, it's the first two kinds of people who seem to cruise through socially by virtue of a natural, collective human instinct that attracts us to sources of joy. I hope this inspires a sense of renewal and reflection. So now I ask you, how does your kindness manifest?