How nice
is too nice?
Is there such a thing?
A lot of
people would say that in a world filled with suffering, oppression, arrogance
and disregard, being too nice couldn't possibly be something worthy of
complaint. Usually I would agree, the world is seriously lacking in the
sincerity and general kindness that this post hopes to inspire.
But what
if your existence is nothing but a few thousand cubic meters of space and
filled with people not generally influenced by the world on mass?
My town,
for instance, is tucked away in the northern end of Australia; population
approximately 160,000. There's enough people to create eccentricity, variation
of cultural and religious belief as well as a government based on the ideals of
the country's overall agenda, but still far enough removed to remain
independent of major political upheaval. In this tiny town we may know the
person living right next door or we may live with the window shades drawn in
the hopes to remain anonymous; basic niceties are still expected regardless.
Being
nice, to me, is respecting each individual's choices to live, breathe and work
within this environment without judgement or expectation of certain behaviours.
Being too nice would entail dropping baked goods on doorsteps each day or
friends and colleagues calling hourly to check on one's wellbeing.
To be
nice (or merely human) is to be considerate of your fellow man; let them merge
into your traffic lane during rush hour. Let the neighbour's kids play cricket
in your front yard when there's no safe place elsewhere. Let the elderly have
your seat on public transport and of course, respect everyone's opinions yet
still value your own.
It's all
about balance. Being too nice isn't really a first world problem and to be
fair, not the worst thing that anyone could encounter. There's no issue with
overextending oneself or elaborating kindness; it can be annoying, but still
much better than the alternative which is to not care at all. I personally know
which one I'd prefer even if I do like to keep the shades drawn most days.
Kristy :)
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