Reciprocity, and Positive and Negative Kindness

    Reciprocity is treating others as they treat you. If someone says, “You are such a good person,” then reciprocity would be telling them back, “You are also a good person.” On the other hand, if someone slaps me, then and then I slap them back, that is also reciprocity.

There are two types of kindness, positive and negative. Positive kindness is doing something and not expecting anything (no reciprocity) in return. Donating to a charity, teaching someone a skill for free, or lending a neighbor a tool, are examples of positive kindness. Negative kindness is when someone hurts me, and I don’t reciprocate. If someone punches me, and I fall over, but I stand up and walk away, rather than hitting them back, that is negative kindness, because I have not reciprocated.

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