Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

What does the word "nice" mean anyway? I started thinking about this when my parents told me that I didn't sound like nice person. How exactly does one sound nice? As far as words go I think I like the word kind better. I'm not sure you can sound kind either, but in describing a person I think I prefer kind. I'm usually a pretty modest person, but I will say that I think I'm pretty nice and kind to everyone. At least I try to be.


When I hear the word nice, I always think of that line from "Into the Woods" when the characters all face being destroyed by the giant if they don't give up Jack, one of the characters that killed the giant's wife, and when they refuse to give up Jack the witch says: "You're so nice. You're not good you're not bad you're just nice." The great thing that is being implied here is that nice people aren't always good people.

I guess to me there are two things to judge niceness by: genuineness and correctness. Not everyone that is nice is genuine about it, and if you are not genuine then you're pretty much lying. Take the Japanese culture for instance, everyone is nice and polite to everyone in public, and while it's nice to be treated nicely, this can also be extremely frustrating because you will never know how someone really feels about things. It's not a very honest culture in that way.

Also being nice isn't always the best or correct response. There are times when being firm, direct, immovable and maybe even a little harsh can be appropriate responses. I'm talking mostly about when you are standing up for a just cause. There are good people out there that stand for good things, and they can't always be nice about it. Some times the right thing to do isn't always the nice thing, but that's how change happens and things can get better, and if that's your motivation then to heck with being nice.

Meanings of the word NICE:

1. pleasing; agreeable; delightful: a nice visit.
2. amiably pleasant; kind: They are always nice to strangers.
3. characterized by, showing, or requiring great accuracy, precision, skill, tact, care, or delicacy: nice workmanship; a nice shot; a nice handling of a crisis.
4. minute, fine, or subtle: a nice distinction.
5. having or showing delicate, accurate perception: a nice sense of color.
6. refined in manners, language, etc.: Nice people wouldn't do such things.
7. suitable or proper: That was not a nice remark.
8. carefully neat in dress, habits, etc.
9. (esp. of food) dainty or delicate.
10. having fastidious, finicky, or fussy tastes: They're much too nice in their dining habits to enjoy an outdoor barbecue.
11. Obsolete. coy, shy, or reluctant.