"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up" (Proverbs 12:25).

In one sentence, the broad sweep of self-conscious life is contemplated. Anxiety, and its sister, depression, plagues humanity in the 21st century. More and more of us are falling prey to its noxious clutches. Clearly, a person thus afflicted needs all the help he can get from the medical profession. The Wisdom writer knows nothing of modern psychology, but knowing the human condition, he recommends kindness. How much the weight of worry and dread might be lightened by the routine exercise of kindness!