Kind and Nice
- Bailey Maholm
- Mar 25, 2017
- 3 min read
Kindness, and Niceness.
Are they synonymous? What’s the difference? Are we called as a human race to be kind, or to be nice?
Let’s start with defining the words and their roots-
kind2
kīnd/
adjective
adjective: kind; comparative adjective: kinder; superlative adjective: kindest
having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature.
archaic
affectionate; loving.
nice
kind·ness
ˈkīn(d)nəs/
noun
noun: kindness
the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.
nīs/
adjective
adjective: nice; comparative adjective: nicer; superlative adjective: nicest
pleasant; agreeable; satisfactory.
fine or subtle.
archaic
fastidious; scrupulous.
nice·ness
ˈnīsnəs/
noun
the quality of being nice; pleasantness.
I would argue that as a society, we tend to focus on being nice rather than kind. We emphasize the importance of “pleasantness”, and this idea that when we interact with people we must maintain an “agreeable” persona. We tell people that we’re “fine”. We tell ourselves our work is “satisfactory”. We tell ourselves we need to be “nice” to one another. These words that define “nice” are bland and ultimately lack the ability to add depth to our character. We associate these characteristics with a very two-dimensional personality of someone that genuinely struggles to contributes value.
Now what about the words that define “kind”. What would happen if we emphasized the importance of “a considerate nature”, and the idea that when we interact with people we must thrive in a “friendly” manner? What if we were “loving” to people? What if we told ourselves how important it is to be “generous” with one another and ourselves? The words that define “kindness” are so much more full and have a sense of beauty to them, don’t they? These characteristics are tools to building a well-rounded personality that evokes true goodness. By being KIND to one another rather than simply being NICE to one another, we can create a society that focuses more on LOVING one another.
To dive a little further let’s take a look at the archaic definition of both words.
Nice- archaic
fastidious; scrupulous.
Kind- archaic
affectionate; loving.
Look at the difference in the very root of the quality of these characteristics. “Nice” started out as a word to describe being very attentive to detail, diligent, and thorough. These are fundamentally good characteristics, but if we pair the original definition with the way we use the word today, it makes us realize how much EFFORT is put into being “nice”. We focus so hard on maintaining “niceness” in our interactions with others, that we become fastidious about our decorum, rather than showing genuine appreciation for the person in which we are interacting with. But the word “kind” is rooted in affection and love. The word started out as a way of showing genuine affection, and turned into an expression of generosity and friendliness. Kindness has maintained the loving roots from which it came. When we show kindness to one another, we are acting in a way of love and ultimate truth.
SO why do we tell our children, and the people we care about to be “nice” to one another?”
“Be NICE to your siblings.”
“Be NICE to your mom and dad.”
“Now honey, let’s be NICE to one another.”
Simply replace “Nice” with “Kind” and see how the sentence changes.
“Be KIND to your siblings.”
“Be KIND to your mom and dad.”
“Now honey, let’s be KIND to one another.”
Just by reading the sentence with the one word change, it takes on a softer and more affectionate tone.
It is SO important that we begin emphasizing kindness in our daily lives and interactions with others, because it will help to create an atmosphere of love.
Isn’t that what we’re trying so hard to obtain as a society? An atmosphere of love that is void of hatred?
Then let’s stop working hard to be NICE, and simply start being KIND.
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