Short fuse: ‘It’s the little things’
Yesterday morning Kiwis told the Sunday Star-Times that although their empathy levels might be running a little low, they’re doing the best they can to manage their frustrations. And while some are fed up with being told to be kind, others say it’s a good reminder of what we should all be doing anyway.
In Wellington, Alan Bruce says his tolerance levels are a little lower than before the pandemic, mainly with work. ‘‘All the little things that used to be like ‘oh I’ll just get on with it’ now I am just like ‘oh, come on’.’’
The ‘be kind’ advice still stacks up, though: ‘‘It shouldn’t take a pandemic for that to be something people live by, but yeah, I think it’s a good reminder.’’
Matt Thomson’s patience hasn’t taken a hit, though being told to be kind is ‘‘a bit patronising’’.
Zoe Halston works in retail where customer comments about the prime minister can make things awkward. ‘‘You don’t want to express your own views because you don’t want to get them more angry. Or just like people coming in and not wanting to abide by rules that we don’t have a decision on.’’
She witnessed a lot of anger from the Wellington protesters as well, and says her own tolerance levels have taken a bit of a hit: ‘‘I am more aware of other people’s behaviour and actions.’’
In Nelson, Liz Riddell says her tolerance levels haven’t dipped, though juggling appointments at the dental surgery where she works is stressful. ‘‘Someone came in who wasn’t wearing a mask because they had an exemption. Another couple went crazy at them, called them selfish. It was a screaming match. I got my boss to deal with it.’’
Ricki Mitchell’s tolerance has also stayed the same, ‘‘but I’m more aware now that people are more stressed out, so you do give them a bit of leeway’’.
The ‘be kind’ message still has its place, Mitchell says. ‘‘It’s good to remind people that everyone’s going through stress and everyone’s stress is different. We’re all in this big challenge together.’’
Richard Ridout has more time for reflection than people managing children or jobs, which he says allows him more tolerance towards others. He says the inhumanity of the Ukraine war is what he’s currently upset about, and ‘be kind’ has worn thin. ‘‘People have done their best to be kind, but I think there have been a lot of people who believe it has not brought them any sort of result.’’
Allan Willoughby has less stress, is fine with ‘be kind’, though is frustrated by the disparity of people’s attitudes to Covid rules: ‘‘What one person understands is different from someone else.’’