the eye of Nova's mind

I managed to make someone cry today. It was someone I consider a friend; I wasn't even trying to be mean; and all of this occurred before 8 in the morning.

I was being critical, though again not in a mean way. This person had opened a door for someone and then pointed this out to the person in a loud voice when she didn't acknowledge the effort. I said to my friend that she should be kind without expecting thanks--that one should accomplish acts of kindness out of selflessness instead of seeking acknowledgments from others. My tone was light, in a gently teasing way, and a smile was on my face as I spoke.

These words brought tears to her eyes. This had the effect of necessitating that I apologize, which of course I would have done no matter what had caused the crying. However, I suspect that by taking offense she will completely ignore the content of what I said, which again was not delivered in a cruel way.