# I have decided to become a nice person. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 13, 2007, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-decided-to-become-a-nice-person/392012 "2007-02-13T13:43:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-decided-to-become-a-nice-person/392012/21 "2007-02-13T18:44:18Z")
Don’t do it! ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-decided-to-become-a-nice-person/392012/22 "2007-02-13T19:22:03Z")
The toughest thing for me to do is just to _hold my tongue_ when someone is spouting stupidity in my area. The last time I couldn’t keep it in, some woman here at the office was touting one of those goddam scented candle and trinket parties she was going to hold, and I made some snide remark about how cheesey and overpriced the products were. She was so crestfallen! I felt like a real bitch. But jeez, sometimes it’s hard to keep one’s mouth shut. Being nice is tough! It’s like always play-acting a part, 24 hours a day. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-decided-to-become-a-nice-person/392012/23 "2007-02-13T19:32:55Z")
Exactly. And who wants manufactured “nice”? It’s so fake! And you can always tell when someone is being nice to you but doesn’t really want to. That’s another reason I’m trying for an absence of nasty. ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-decided-to-become-a-nice-person/392012/24 "2007-02-13T19:39:52Z")
[QUOTE=kayT] Let me know how this works out, since I too am abrasive and might like to change … if it’s not too much work. [/QUOTE] The problem is not with you. Everybody else has to lighten up and get out of your way. Take me. I’m just a happy guy, humming a tune, not a care in the world, until I run into somebody else. Then they either don’t want to give me their wallet or try to run and I have to turn nasty. Not my fault. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-decided-to-become-a-nice-person/392012/25 "2007-02-13T19:43:42Z")
5 hours now. Happy Happy, Joy Joy… This is tougher than I thought. I have a new respect for nice people. HEY! I just said something nice! ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-decided-to-become-a-nice-person/392012/26 "2007-02-13T19:45:07Z")
Someone recently told me that inside each person is two people, one who is nice, kind and loving, the other who is hurt, angry and bitter. Of course, they are always battling for control. And there the story ended. :rolleyes: And when I asked which one takes over, I was told, “The one you feed.” :smack: On an aside; I knew I recognized that name, Inigo Montoyo, as from some film I’d seen a long time ago. Every time I’d see it, I’d think, what film is that? Never really bothered to ask anyone mind you. This weekend I was flipping through the tv channels and happened upon the scene where he just keeps repeating, “I am Inigo Montoyo, you killed my father…”. I was jumping around all excited like and kept repeating it all weekend. My husband now thinks I am insane! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-decided-to-become-a-nice-person/392012/27 "2007-02-13T19:45:14Z")
[QUOTE=Inigo Montoya] 5 hours now. Happy Happy, Joy Joy… This is tougher than I thought. I have a new respect for nice people. HEY! I just said something nice! [/QUOTE] My god, Inigo. I’m starting to think you’re _serious_ about this. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-decided-to-become-a-nice-person/392012/28 "2007-02-13T21:16:22Z")
Ok kids, show’s over. Just talked to my Ms. Montoya on the phone. Oh well, 6 1/2 hours. Gotta be a personal best for a waking nice streak. Back to being a right bastard again. mmmm comfy. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-decided-to-become-a-nice-person/392012/29 "2007-02-13T21:18:43Z")
[QUOTE=Inigo Montoya] Ok kids, shows over. Just talked to my Ms. Montoya on the phone. Oh well, 6 1/2 hours. Gotta be a personal best for a waking nice streak. Back to being a right bastard again. mmmm comfy. [/QUOTE] Welcome back. I was starting to wonder what happened to the real Inigo. ---
**Author:** ![Sonia\_Montdore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Sonia\_Montdore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonia_Montdore)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-decided-to-become-a-nice-person/392012/30 "2007-02-13T21:42:37Z")
[QUOTE=Lissa] Deep down, I’m really a bad person. I’m short-tempered, hostile, and mean-spirited. It’s been a life-long struggle to try to fight those tendencies because I’ve got high standards of acceptable behavior. (I don’t believe _anything_ ever justifies rude or nasty behavior on my part.) It takes real effort on my part to be “nice.” I’ve decided that it’s not a matter of trying to change yourself internally. (I’ll never be Miss Merry Sunshine). The trick is to recognize those tendencies within yourself and to never let them control your behavior. That’s not to say you can’t still indulge your mean impulses: you just change the way you do it. As an example, my nasty side gets a real kick out of being excrutiatingly polite to an asshole because it absolutely enrages them. [/QUOTE] **Lissa** , you are one of the nicest, most supportive members of this board. I find it hard to believe that you have a mean bone anywhere in your body. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-decided-to-become-a-nice-person/392012.md?page=1)