The Importance of Kindness in Neopia

One thing that we always remember no matter where we go is kindness. Though we seldom realize it, kindness leaves its mark on many, and can completely change the color of a good or a bad situation depending on the wealth of kindness around us. As members of a wildly popular community and guests on Neopets, it is important to demonstrate a good attitude to others who we happen to come across on the forums or well, anywhere!

For starters, an excellent attitude can carry you a long way. Having a good attitude doesn't solely pertain to being courteous, as that is just basic manners -- instead, a good attitude means that you should have a positive perspective as you do things. For example, if you have created a board on the Pound Chat and happen to be bombarded with less-than-perfect offers, be prepared for that sort of thing to happen. If you respond with an unkind remark, one thing will inevitably lead to another and maybe you’ll wish you had replied more kindly. Once you have the right perspective, being courteous comes naturally and you might be surprised how much better you feel about it.

Neopets.com is for more people than yourself to enjoy, so try to keep others in mind as you go about your business. There will always be someone more knowledgeable than you as well as many who are less knowledgeable. Accepting advice and helping others along are both rewarding experiences to be enjoyed. Many users who become Neofriends can stay friends for years, and I guarantee you that their friendships did not begin based upon a bad attitude.

Being a goal-oriented website, Neopets can be an uphill battle of perseverance for many users, especially new ones. Things like affording Draiks and splurging on dozens of Baby Paint Brushes are not amenities open to every user, but they don't need to be so exclusive, either. If you are fortunate enough to be a well-off Neopian, be kind to others and generous when opportunity allows. Your kindness will not be forgotten, and you may help someone on their way to their seemingly impossible dream.

Although there are times when not everyone is so nice to each other, keep yourself out of the turmoil when it does happen. Neopets is meant to be enjoyed. Don't squander your time arguing or getting yourself worked up when you could be enjoying a piping hot mug of Borovan (or, seeing as it is summer time, chilled Borovan!) and playing Meerca Chase. Remember why you joined Neopets in the first place -- hopefully it wasn't because you wanted to participate in trolling!

If you do happen to come across a friend on Neopets, remain loyal to them. If they need help with game tips for a game which you've already acquired the avatar for, see if you can help them. Not that this matters, but often your kindness will be returned, and, most importantly, your friend will definitely appreciate it. Contributing to the success of another is a rare and joyous feeling; don't miss the chance to experience it.

Should you find yourself seeking help, don't be afraid to ask for it. Go on the Neoboards and have a look at whatever chat board should be able to come to your rescue. If you want opinions on your fabulous signature, go to the Avatar Chat; if you want weapon advice, venture to the Battledome Chat, and so on and so forth. You'd be surprised at the friendliness some of the more active boards are able to exhibit, and you may make a quick friend along the way. There are many benevolent users who are always willing to lend a fellow Neopian a helping hand.

Never discount the worth of a small compliment. Whether you compliment someone's pet, their user lookup coding, or even their first name, there are bound to be positive results. Neopets is designed to be a community filled with positive feelings, and by giving out compliments you are only enhancing this environment. Although they are often taken for granted and therefore almost never said, a compliment can turn around another person's day or, at the very least, make them feel good about themselves. Compliments feel wonderful to give and receive, so if you're stuck between putting someone down or bringing them up with a nice, genuine compliment (as they should never be forced), speak up in the positive way. The person on the other end will thank you for it.

Courtesy was mentioned earlier, but not in great depth. Courtesy, like compliments, is another discounted amenity of life that will make your experience on Neopets even brighter. A courteous person will always remember to say "please", "thank you", and even "no thank you". The latter sounds much kinder than a flat out no -- don't you agree? Saying please and thank you have their pluses as well. People will feel better about doing things for you if you ask them nicely, and thanking them for doing it will make them feel better about helping someone who appreciated it enough to say thank you.

Although much of this may appear to be common sense, it is my hope that this guide will allow you to do exactly as the title implies: understand the importance of kindness in Neopia. Make the experiences of others pleasant whenever possible and you will reap far more wondrous rewards. I hope that you've had an excellent day today and that you enjoy reading my article as well as all of the others that have been published today. And I would like to thank TNT for graciously looking over my article and, hopefully, deciding to publish it. My endless thanks go to you for your kindness.