On Being Nice
Teacher: What's one word to describe Deborah?
Class: Nice
Throughout my entire life, people have described me as "nice." I'd like to think it means considerate, personable, caring, or giving. But it doesn't. Nice is the politically correct word for "nondescript". If it were a color, it'd be clear. It means nothing, except possibly at its best, "boring."
This came to my attention on Monday when I was at acting class, and we were doing Meisner, and a couple people said, "You're nice." I got a weird feeling in my stomach, but I overlooked it and repeated, "I'm nice."
Later, after much internal processing, I realized that I don't like being called nice. I should have repeated and added, "You mean I'm boring" to make it more interesting (and truthful). Because, basically nice is uninteresting. Average and uninteresting.
Ugh. Nice.
Nice says "I've got it all together. My life looks perfect. I wear a smile, so you don't think I have any problems." Nice is unapproachable, unrealatable, unrealistic.
No, thank you.
If I get called nice again in this lifetime, which is likely, it'll be a slap in the face to me that I'm acting fake. Perhaps I'm guarding my emotions or putting on a front. I'm not nice. I might be sweet. I might be guarded. I might be so busy I can't understand what I'm feeling, but I'm not nice.
Don't get me wrong. Nice can be appropriately used as a synonym for kind, giving, caring, compassionate, etc. However, if you mean one of those other words, then use them! Nice is to bland, too...nothing.
I blame this on the writer in me, the one speaking out in a passionate rant on word usage.
Nice=Boring. The End.
Class: Nice
Throughout my entire life, people have described me as "nice." I'd like to think it means considerate, personable, caring, or giving. But it doesn't. Nice is the politically correct word for "nondescript". If it were a color, it'd be clear. It means nothing, except possibly at its best, "boring."
This came to my attention on Monday when I was at acting class, and we were doing Meisner, and a couple people said, "You're nice." I got a weird feeling in my stomach, but I overlooked it and repeated, "I'm nice."
Later, after much internal processing, I realized that I don't like being called nice. I should have repeated and added, "You mean I'm boring" to make it more interesting (and truthful). Because, basically nice is uninteresting. Average and uninteresting.
Ugh. Nice.
Nice says "I've got it all together. My life looks perfect. I wear a smile, so you don't think I have any problems." Nice is unapproachable, unrealatable, unrealistic.
No, thank you.
If I get called nice again in this lifetime, which is likely, it'll be a slap in the face to me that I'm acting fake. Perhaps I'm guarding my emotions or putting on a front. I'm not nice. I might be sweet. I might be guarded. I might be so busy I can't understand what I'm feeling, but I'm not nice.
Don't get me wrong. Nice can be appropriately used as a synonym for kind, giving, caring, compassionate, etc. However, if you mean one of those other words, then use them! Nice is to bland, too...nothing.
I blame this on the writer in me, the one speaking out in a passionate rant on word usage.
Nice=Boring. The End.
Comments
You, Deborah, are a DELIGHT! You are so much more than only 'nice.'
People who call you 'nice' just have not gotten to know you!