Gentleness is action done with care and restraint. It can be a personality trait or an individual action—consisting of kindness, consideration, and amiability.

Philosophy

6th century BCE

Greek philosopher Aristotle used it in a technical sense as the virtue that strikes the mean with regard to anger: being too quick to anger is a vice, but so is being detached in a situation where anger is appropriate; justified and properly focused anger is named mildness or gentleness.

1st century CE

Roman citizen Paul the Apostle wrote about having the fruit of the spirit which calls for Christians to embody virtues such as gentleness. The New International Version (NIV) of the Bible translates as,

21st century CE

Gentleness is not passive; it requires a resistance to brutality. Gentleness does not submit to tyranny, but it responds with a tender awareness of others' experiences and pain.

According to , gentleness comes from releasing ourselves from desires, like wanting others to read our minds, seeking their attention, expecting continuous agreement, or wanting them to always please us. He suggests that focusing on wants creates an endless cycle, but by releasing and gently inviting, we can attain our goals.

French philosopher and psychoanalyst Anne Dufourmantelle wrote in her 2018 book, Power of Gentleness, that gentleness is a force of potentiality. She states gentleness is,

On day 4 of the 2021 Wikimania event Lea Volz gave a video presentation on how to encourage gentle discussion within Wikipedia Germany.

Social psychology

Gentleness is an important aspect for an individual's mattering and intergroup relationships.

Psychology

The Contact Hypothesis, was proposed by Gordon Allport in The Nature of Prejudice in 1954 .

Sociology

Another historical context for gentleness emerged in medieval times, associated with higher social classes. This is reflected in terms like gentleman, gentlewoman, and gentry. Over time, the concept of gentle behavior evolved from the literal gentry to the metaphorical "like a gentleman," applicable to anyone.

Media

Books

The Story of Ferdinand (1936) is a children's book written by Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson. It follows the story of a bull named Ferdinand who would rather smell the flowers than fight with other bulls.

Music

A lullaby is a song meant to soothe people, usually children, to sleep.

Video Games

The cozy game genre of video games emphasizes non-violence and relaxation. Some examples are Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, and The Sims series.

See also

References