You may have heard the expression, don’t kick them while they’re down. It’s used to describe not treating someone badly when they’ve suffered a setback.
I don’t know if the origins of this expression are founded in its literal sense. But in describing when not to kick someone, it makes you wonder if it implies there are times when it’s ok to kick someone.
A person involved in my business recently experienced a major personal setback. They didn’t need to disclose this to me, but felt it was important given our working relationship. Shortly after making this disclosure, they missed a key deadline for the business which other people were relying on.
It’s interesting to consider how your response may change with knowledge of their personal life.
Would you show more understanding because they were dealing with a setback in their personal life?
And if they hadn’t experienced a setback, does this imply it’s ok to “kick them” for missing the deadline?
Think about times in your own life when you’ve tempered your reaction to a problem because the person was going through something. Now think about times when you’ve reacted without context. Is an intense reaction ever warranted?
The expression should really be, Don’t kick them. Full stop.
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