proverb · Words worth keeping
Kindness begets kindness.
Kindness begets kindness.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes kindness produce more kindness. It encourages considerate conduct through the possibility of a reciprocal response.
What the words are saying
Begets presents the response as if it follows directly. A responsible reading values kindness without promising repayment or blaming a person when others respond badly. Giving consideration does not require tolerating mistreatment or treating affection as a debt.
Everyday example
Someone acts considerately without demanding a matching response or abandoning needed boundaries.
When to use it
Use it to encourage kindness without a repayment condition.
What it does not mean
Kindness does not guarantee reciprocity or oblige someone to accept harm.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 495; PDF page 73
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.