I hate #bekind.

[cockneysalad]

I really hate the #bekind sentiment that is now everywhere. I have noticed it on womens jumpers, slippers, bags etc. Funnily enough I haven't seen it on any mens items of clothing.
I see it as another way to tell people to put up with things they don't agree with, "oh be kind, you must be nice," I'm not sure that this gets anyone anywhere. I asked my daughter what she felt about #bekind she asked me in what context and said that she wasn't going to be unkind. I think that is my point by challenging, questioning and debating we are not being unkind but the #bekind thing just feels like a way of shutting people down from discussion and debate.

Completely agree. They might as well put #BeQuiet on women's t-shirts.

Yep. It's patronising and used to shut down opinions. Yes, there's no need to be nasty but we are entitled to tell people that we disagree with them without being told to bloody "be kind."

I don't like it either. I'm sure the original intent behind it was honourable but basically it's #shutupwomen.

Let’s not forget that the whole BeKind bollocks was spawned by someone who used violence against their partner.

I completely agree as well. Someone with enough issues to troll people on the internet is not going to be put off by #bekind. Instead it’s used to shout down women, always women. #bekind is really #shutupandknowyourplace.

I hate it.

I frequently fail in living by this myself, but my instruction to primary school children goes "ask yourself three questions if you're in doubt about saying something. They are is it kind, is it true, is it necessary? You should only say it if if you can answer yes to two or more".

And adults are telling me, an adult, to live by "be kind"? Fuck right off with that, and stop trying to give me moral guidance.

I hate it too. People spouting it are often not kind at all.

I hate it too.

It’s also disproportionately aimed at women and means that you should shut up and not speak out about things that are unfair. Your feelings are irrelevant. And to shut down other peoples opinions.

Plus most people who say ‘be kind’ are anything but themselves.

YANBU

Some of the vilest stuff I have seen posted on facebook has come from people with #BeKind in their profile photo.

It's an order to the rest of us to be "kind" to them, not a personal philosophy they follow.

Yes annoys me too. If you have chosen to be a public figure and in a position of power, influence or idiolisation you have to accept the good and the bad. I follow some of the geordie shore girls, when someone points out a photo shopped image showing an unrealistic body shape they get comments from people saying they should be a better role model for their young followers, be open and honest about photoshop etc, and always gets met with a "be kind" response. Same when they were in Dubai for lock down when people commented it was selfish, the replies were "be kind".

Don't get me wrong bullying, targeting people, insulting appearance and just general slander isnt on. But if someone has acted in a way some view immoral or wrong, people are allowed to voice that opinion.

I agree. Actions speak louder than words.

I think the one of the worst contexts I've seen it was on a horsey facebook group: Am I too big for my horse? She was and a lot of people said so (fairly tactfully I thought) and they were all bombarded with #bekind stop fat shaming. What about the poor horse? No one was being kind to him! Sorry not really feminist but that really wound me up with its hypocrisy.

I agree. Our school kept saying it during the lockdown, which I took to mean "don't complain about the no teaching we are doing".

Being kind is not conflicting to being truthful, so I don't see it as a shutting up mechanism.

I see it as a ffs, can people not have some sense that words, trolling and actions can be damaging, just try and be decent to each other.

Someone on here had previously said that 'be kind' is almost being used in a threatening way now and I have to agree - 'be kind' or you'll get piled on or shamed or shouted down. Basically agree with us or shut up.

I hate it too and agree that it's targeted at women, not men. I followed a car this morning on the school run with the whole quote (In a world where you can be anything, be kind) on it this morning and it annoyed me then too!

And of course people should be kind to each other in a general sense and not be an arsehole for the sake of it but its just the way that phrase is being used now to shut down any discussion or dissent that bothers me

Shut the fuck up is still considered rude, so people say #bekind instead. It does not serve women.

I do think that #bekind is often thoughtless tokenism or probably a subconscious form of status positioning, to indicate support of mental health issues.

Yes I am sick of it too and of Caroline Flack’s death being wheeled out to promote it over a year later.

Yanbu

It's very much #bekind bitch

Yep - and l have told my daughter that being kind can sometimes make you a doormat so instead of being kind, just don't be unkind. Big difference.

It's a terrible message. I saw a " be kind" poster display in my local supermarket, it was targeted at children which I find terrifying. Predatory adults will almost certainly exploit it.

Kindness is massively overrated, respect for self and others is much more important.

It's short for #womendontmatter