by Janna Delange
When I was coming of age in the Seventies, being "nice" got a bad rap. There were lots of feminist tirades about the travesty of teaching young girls to be "nice" instead of assertive. There was a popular book called "When Nice Ain't So Nice." Well-known slogans were "Look out for Number One" and "Don't Be Nice - Be a Bitch" and "Nice Guys Never Win." Being nice and standing up for yourself seemed to be mutually exclusive ideas, although I never could really see what one had to do with the other.
So, a few decades later, we now live in a world where most people aren't really that nice. And as a society we have lost much of the civility that makes everyday life bearable. I am not ashamed to say that I think people should be nice.
I'm not talking about being nice to your friends (most people are), your colleagues (most people have to be), or your family (many people aren't, but know they should be.) I'm talking about being nice to strangers, to the people who make up your community, who are part of the social intercourse of daily life. Yes. I'm saying you should be nice to them.
I think people should hold doors open for those behind them, no matter who they are. I think people should put their shopping carts in the designated spot instead of leaving them randomly in the parking lot. I think people should NOT litter, that they should pick up their trash after a fast-food meal, a basketball game, or a movie. Yes, I know there are people hired to clean up the venue, but it's the nice thing to do. I think people should be nice in traffic. I am tired of being flipped off by motorists when I have done nothing more harmful than drive at the speed limit.
Even if I were to agree with a radio talk-show host, I will not listen to them because people interrupt and yell at each other. If columnists who disagree with a political opponent respectfully call him/her by name, I will read their opinions, but if they stoop to name-calling and ridicule, they have already lost me to their possible persuasions. I think everyone should treat senior citizens with respect and deference, not just tolerate them as nuisances.
Being nice costs us nothing and makes life more livable, more pleasurable, less stressful. That's what I think.
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