During a 9-hour flight, I fully reclined my seat, only for the very pregnant woman behind me to start pushing it, complaining that she didn’t have enough legroom. I responded, “If you want more space, buy a business class seat!” She went silent after that. A while later, I noticed she was no longer in her seat. When I asked a stewardess about it, she told me they had moved the woman to an empty business class seat to avoid further complaints.

When the plane landed, I was surprised to find a business class amenity kit in my bag. It contained earplugs, an eye mask, toiletries, and a note that read: “Next time, try a little kindness. It costs nothing and makes the journey smoother for everyone. Thank you for inspiring the kindness of strangers to elevate me to a more comfortable seat. Safe travels.”While I appreciated the gesture, I still felt that I had done nothing wrong. I paid for my seat, and I had the right to recline it, especially since the seats were designed that way. But the note made me reflect on the impact of my words and actions.