Life is transactional on so many levels. I hope that more of us come to understand this and be better about recognizing kindness can be weaponized. Thank you for sharing this insight. I hope I can remember to have gratitude for being able to help someone, instead of seeding expectations for my help.

So, the thing is, kindness nowadays feels like a transaction, right? Like, "Yeah, I’ll help you out, but you owe me one later." Kinda sad to think that kindness turned into some sort of emotional currency.

But has genuine kindness really disappeared? I don’t think so. There have always been people who only help to get something in return, but there are also those who do good just because they want to, no strings attached. The problem is, with everything moving so fast and so many relationships being interest-based, it’s getting harder to trust.

Now, let’s be real: is kindness with a little self-interest always a bad thing? If both sides benefit, it’s just a fair deal, no need to make it all "good vs. evil." The real issue is when someone pretends to be kind but is actually just looking to take advantage. That’s when it sucks.

Maybe the key is not to go full paranoid and assume everyone has an agenda, but also not be naïve and think the world is all sunshine and rainbows. The trick is balance—trust people, but keep a little caution in your back pocket. After all, being kind doesn’t mean being a fool, right?