I’ve never been in an IKEA store. Nor have I ever purchased an IKEA anything. I am told that when you go into one of their stores, you run the risk of being lost forever in the maze. At the very least, you emerge exhausted and dehydrated.
The reason I mention IKEA stems from an article I recently read. They hosted a project, at one of their stores, and in coordination with a local school. It all unfolded on National Don’t Bully Day. All of this took place somewhere in the Middle East.
The project involved two houseplants. We’ve all heard that if you talk to your plants, they will bloom and grow. And of course, it all depends on one’s intonation, I would think. Well, IKEA proved this true.
They had all the students visit the plants every day. They praised and admired one of the plants. The other house plant was bullied. It heard nothing but harmful, degrading, hateful words. The rest of the experiment was on equal terms. Both plants received the same light, water, temperature, and otherwise.
By the end of the experiment, the Bullied Plant looked miserable. Completely dreadful. The Plant of Praise, looked, as they say, maaahhhhhvelous.
It was proof enough for me.
Amazing. Love makes us thrive. Hate hurts.
We need to be nice to one another. That’s all there is to it.
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“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”
― Plato
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“Treat everyone with politeness and kindness, not because they are nice, but because you are.”
― Roy T. Bennett
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Be kind to your mother-in-law, but pay for her board at some good hotel. — Josh Billings
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