Kindness and meditation

       Does meditation in and by itself make a person kinder? I had posed this question to the group practice today after learning that one of the newer practitioners was taking a course in Loving Kindness Meditation. Loving Kindness Meditation uses the boundless sense of metta (wishing others well being) as its focal point, while other kinds of meditation can use other objects, which are perhaps considered more neutral (such as the breath, for instance). In my own study on Loving Kindness Meditation in teachers, I had also noticed that some elements of compassion seemed to arise from reciting the loving kindness lines themselves, while other aspects were more arising from the sense of  calmness in meditation. It's sometimes said that in order to arouse any particular state of being, there needs to be more than grounding: the mind needs to contemplate the quality which they want to cultivate. But I also suggest that without embodying the words in a distinctly meditative way, it's difficult to internalize  loving kindness, because the words don't touch a genuine sense of open-heartedness that is at the seat of the soul.
       I think that it's a good idea to cultivate the intention  of kindness, in order to meditatively internalize it, provided  that this is a goal that one would want to have. The reason I suggest this is that any number of patterns can be reinforced in meditation practice, as one practitioner had suggested this evening. Meditation can reinforce introversion, the craving to be alone, or the desire to cultivate special states of mind. There have even been cases where meditative practice has caused  a person to withdraw from others or from the world of social responsibilities. On the other hand, if a person reflects deeply on what they would like to cultivate, meditation can certainly help them cultivate  those qualities. People in general don't just want to have peace of mind. What I believe people want deep down inside is a sense of connection through peace of mind, which is quite different from deliberately trying to isolate oneself on an island. And I do believe that if one is  sincere in learning a spiritual  practice and teachings, they can use those teachings to better harmonize with others and deal  with harmful applications of emotions. But it's just as  easy for a person to become  attached to particular meditative states that they may mistaken this to be the true meaning of meditation. In reality, without an ability to navigate difficult and complex challenges (both internal and external), meditative practice can never  have a root and context. This is why it's best, in my opinion, not to lose  sight of the kind of person one really wants to be. It is only  in being clear about this that one's meditation can help them to cultivate harmonious qualities in themselves.