In my Granny’s garage she has a small placard on a cupboard that reads, “It’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice.” I would see it often growing up when helping out, and I always thought it was a clever phrase. Being nice is important—I like to use the word kindness. It goes a long way. But I believe there’s another word that’s even more crucial to our species’ cohabitation on this planet.

That word is “considerate.” It’s different than kind. One can be reactively or passively kind. If someone stops you on the street and asks for directions, you can be kind and polite and offer to walk them to their destination. But being considerate requires action. It’s an active quality, to be considerate. It means you are thinking of others, you’re thinking outside of just yourself. You’re considering other possibilities, you’re looking beyond the obvious reality in front of you.

If we can be more considerate as a species, we’ll fare much better on this planet. There would be less hunger, less corruption, less suffering. And I think we’d feel better, be happier. Let’s consider other people, other options, other possibilities. Let’s be a considerate species.