Today, Think Kit encouraged us to "nice" someone. I've talked about the Smallbox coined term in previous posts and was even the recipient of a Nice grant earlier this year. So, I won't belabor the point more than say that nicing is an unprovoked act of kindness toward someone you encounter in your life.
Today, I niced people by not talking. I listened and asked questions to get people to talk about themselves. As a result, I heard stories of joy, sorrow, and disappointment from people I respect and consider friends. I listened to stories of job woes, marriage engagements, divorces, Ph.D. dissertations, and stories of random acts of cuteness by friends' sons and daughters. It was cathartic.
My act of nicing was not a deliberate act and is probably as effective as its original incarnation. However, it's still meaningful. There are numerous editorials out there that elaborate on how we just talk at each other and don't ever listen to on another. So, consider this my act of trying to break this modern stereotype, if just for one day.
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