Nice, Kind, or None
Today’s reflection is brought to you by the time I recently spent going through one of my old email accounts, looking at client emails from the last 10 years.
Nice is something that sits on the surface. It’s a demeanor. It’s outward agreeableness.
Kind is deeper. It’s about a sense of care, concern, and consideration.
- You can be kind, but not nice.
- You can be nice, but not kind.
- You can be kind and nice.
- And, of course, you can be neither nice nor kind.
For what it’s worth, I think those who are not kind should at least pay the courtesy of also not being nice. At least it’s honest.
Personally, I ran out of patience for those who are not kind years ago and not a day goes by that I miss working with those who are unkind.
I hear how we talk about work. I see the stress it causes. I think that we could fix a vast array of problems in the prevailing business culture if we dispensed with any of the remaining tolerance we have for those who are not kind. We should stamp it out and make kindness the price of admission.
You have a choice.
The choice you make is your vote for the sort of place you want to work, and the kind of world you want to live in.
- You can be kind, but not nice.
- You can be nice, but not kind.
- You can be kind and nice.
- And, of course, you can be neither nice nor kind.
From where I sit, the choice is clear. Start by being kind, then continue to be kind, and end by being kind. If you can be nice while you’re doing it, it probably couldn’t hurt.
If you can’t muster that, at least have the courage to be honest enough to let everyone know you’re a jerk.