After a man was confronted by an irate woman who insisted that he was speeding through her neighborhood, it became clear to him that she had a lot on her mind and that her emotions were the result of issues far deeper than his speeding.
Instead of arguing with the woman, the man offered kindness, and she could not help but break down in tears and accept his kind gesture.
A woman burst into tears after the man she accused of speeding offered her a hug and well wishes.
In a TikTok video viewed nearly 500,000 times, Dave (@davidbshane) recorded an interaction he had with a couple who approached him after he parked his car near his home.
When he rolled down his window and asked how he could help them, the woman told him that she wanted him to slow down since he was speeding through the neighborhood.
The man said he was going the speed limit, but the woman was clearly emotional, insisting he was driving ‘a little too fast.’
“We have a problem on this road [with] people who live here. People [are] flying up,” the frustrated woman said. “Someone the other day just hit a cat on purpose, flying up here like an [expletive].”Â
The woman added that she was “pissed off,” and it was written all over her face and depicted through her body language. She appeared uneasy and on the verge of tears throughout her interaction with Dave.
Thankfully, he was able to recognize her emotions and offered her a bit of kindness. “I hope something good happens to you today and you have a great day,” he told the woman.
When he asked her how her life was going, she replied, “Bad.” When he asked what could make it better, she said, “An angel,” her voice thick with emotion.
Dave asked the woman if he could give her a hug, and she graciously accepted.
“You’re not alone. Sometimes life gets really overwhelming,” he said to the woman and her partner, introducing himself and shaking their hands.
“I hope it gets better, guys,” he said, promising that he would watch his speed around the neighborhood.Â
Viewers praised the man for reacting with graciousness toward the woman rather than acting aggressively.
“She’s holding a lot in. You’re amazing to show that you care,” one TikTok user commented.
“She needed that kindness so much. It’s important to have patience in situations where people just need a hug,” another user wrote.
“She absolutely needed this. She was expecting you to reciprocate her energy so glad you turned this around. Kindness costs nothing. Keep this up Dave,” another added.
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Pain and angst can often be mistaken for malice and anger.
When we are dealing with personal struggles, we may unintentionally lash out at others for minor inconveniences and can come off as rude or irate.
Ultimately, whatever set them off is more than likely not the root cause of their attitude.Â
In an article written for CNN, clinical psychologist Jelena Kecmanovic explained, “When someone snaps at you, and you suspect they’re hurting underneath, calmly ask them what is going on.” That’s almost textbook what Dave did, and it transformed the entire interaction.
The person who exploded on you over a parking spot may have just learned that a loved one has a serious illness.
The person who sobbed over having to wait 30 minutes for a table at a restaurant may be battling depression and haven’t had a proper meal in days.
According to Keckmanovic, the instinct to lash out during emotional pain is simply a defense mechanism. It’s a temporary source of relief for the hurt, but without true compassion, it is only a band-aid.
We never truly know what people are dealing with behind closed doors. The least we can do is offer them a bit of light in their dark reality.
We all deal with difficult times, and some of us wish that just one person would demonstrate the graciousness that Dave did to a woman who simply needed a hug.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.
