Let’s be honest: Everyone operates from some level of self-interest. It’s part of being human. But what defines both our character and our quality of life is how much space we allow for others within that self-interest. Somewhere along the way, we lost the balance. We stopped extending basic manners and the small gestures that make life a little smoother for everyone. We stopped extending grace.
Think about it. Holding a door. Letting someone merge in traffic. Authentically asking how a coworker’s doing. None of these require deep empathy or grand acts of service. They’re simple acts of decency. You can “fake it till you make it,” because even if it’s not deeply heartfelt at first, extending grace changes the energy in a room. It creates space. It makes connection possible.
We don’t need to overhaul the human condition overnight. We just need baby steps back to grace.
Start with manners. Start with professionalism.
If you promise something and can’t deliver, then just communicate. Don’t vanish. Don’t wait a week and then say you can’t do it. The failure isn’t in not completing the task; it’s in failing to communicate. Most problems in life stem from under-communication, miscommunication, or no communication at all. And in a time when we’re more digitally “connected” than ever, genuine communication feels like it’s in freefall.
I recently sat down with someone buried under thousands of unread emails. We met for lunch instead of trying to connect online and it was fantastic. Human connection, live and in person, still works better than anything else. Maybe that’s what we need more of: face-to-face moments that remind us people aren’t inbox items or text bubbles. They’re human beings.
I’m not asking anyone to become selfless saints. I’m suggesting we rediscover grace, manners, and professionalism. Heck, it can simply be a performance to start. Because performance can become practice. And practice becomes habit.
If everyone takes even one small step back toward grace, maybe “nobody cares” will finally stop being true.
