Kind VS Nice

“Nice is like sugar on top, kindness is like love underneath”

”Being kind comes unconditionally , being nice is conditional”

”Kind is genuine and intentional and being nice is polite and agreeable”

Welcome back, this week I have been thinking a lot about the opportunities we all have to learn something on our runs. Or at the least spark a question or understand the world through a different perspective. I recently had a chat with a girl who I didn’t get her name but something stuck. 

We had been talking about the New York Marathon. How amazing the energy is, the fact that millions of people come out to cheer on complete strangers and her experience with it. This lead into the topic of the difference between being kind and being nice. I guess there is some state to state beef going on and New Yorkers are genuinely seen as being kind. 

I thought about this a lot. The poll I put out had a few responses and am now diving deeper into my experiences and determining what action was what. The dictionary doesn’t describe them in a way I expected so adding “Ness” gave me something similar. Let’s break down each via definition and whatever my idea is. 

Kindness comes from the heart. One would act kind in a way that offers no external benefit to themselves. Not because they thought it was socially polite or because they want some type of clout. I think someone who is kind would treat a complete stranger in the same way they would treat a good friend. I’m not even sure you could learn kindness, it would likely come from empathetic parents, a positive and uplifting childhood and from a safe and secure household. A nest that allows kindness in and reflects it back to the world.

Kindess is an action from a place of empathy. It’s witnessing a struggle and offering a hand without hesitation. It doesnt need to be a struggle, it can be an action that took effort. To me kindness feels more thoughtful than being nice. Not only in the benefit internally but the output also comes from the heart. 

A wise friend said kindness requires sacrifice and has long term impact as niceness is short lived and very much more in the moment. 

On the other end is being nice. While the world still needs acts of niceness it seems like one who is being nice might be looking for a return. First thing I thought of is holding the door for someone. That’s nice. Being nice is a societal agreement. It usually happens in a blink, there is a moment to be nice. It could be as simple as a smile or recognizing something in someone and telling them. 

In conclusion we need both,  if we can take time to understand others struggles and use our strengths to lift them up we will all be in a better place. Continue being nice but be willing to sacrifice our own ideal outcomes to encourage someone else to reach their own potential. Again running is a perfect mirror for life, don’t let numbers and your ego get in the way of connection. Pay more attention, adapt to whats around you and take the time to lead from the heart. Be the reason someone else keeps running, leave your headphones at home, slow down and have a chat next time you go to run club. 

Until next time, please continue this conversation in the comments or next time we see one another