What It Means to Be Considerate

On a Saturday afternoon, during some free time I had to myself, I went to get my hair colored. (I already had plans to see a movie with my husband that evening!) Since I go to the salon every month to cover my gray hair, it wasn’t anything special. Still, because it was the first time I got my hair done this year, I wanted the day to feel a little different. So instead of the standard dye, I chose a premium one and added a treatment as well. I also had plenty of time that day. :)

 

To be honest, I had some personal doubts about my usual stylist’s work. That day, by coincidence, they weren’t there, so I ended up with a new stylist - and I really liked the result. I even thought about asking for her again in the future, but it turned out to be their last day at the salon. Thankfully, they said they were moving to a nearby place, which made me think, Maybe I’ll go there next time.

 

While waiting during the treatment, I was lying back at the shampoo station and started to feel a little cold. The spot was slightly out of view, and it wasn’t cold enough to mention, so I just stayed quiet and stared into space. Then, somehow, the salon owner noticed and brought me a warm heating cushion. Thanks to that small gesture, I was able to relax and enjoy the treatment. In the end, I was touched by that simple act of consideration. I decided not to switch salons after all and renewed my prepaid package.

The cute warm cushion they actually brought me

 

The owner had done things like this before. Even though I wasn’t their direct client, they always seemed to keep an eye on the whole salon and step in exactly when needed. Through them, I was reminded of what being considerate really means. They never overdid it.

 

Instead of asking, “Do you need anything?” they quietly noticed what might be needed and acted on it.

 

Personally, when someone asks me, “Do you need anything?” I tend to feel a bit awkward and usually say I’m fine. That’s probably why I felt even more grateful for a kind gesture that came without words. Of course, for some people, this kind of attention might feel like too much.

In the end, consideration only truly matters when the other person feels thankful for it. The saddest situation is when something done with good intentions ends up making the other person uncomfortable.

Everyone thinks differently and has their own personality and background. So the same act of consideration can feel thoughtful to one person and burdensome to another. Because of that, I think it’s important to be more aware of whether our kindness might unintentionally cause discomfort.

 

There is no clear answer when it comes to being considerate, which is what makes it so difficult. Still, if we don’t lose sight of our intention to care for others, maybe we can slowly move closer to what true consideration looks like.