Should Women Be “Nice”?

And why not? And why only women?

- Heera Nawaz

Nicety and kindness are ironically some of the most underrated traits and characteristics a person can possess. However, it is an indisputable fact that though nicety is many a time underrated, it can, in certain situations (where it is discerned and appreciated) carry one a long way in life. It is like the number 0; in itself, it is nothing but when added at the end of another number, it increases the other number’s value exponentially.

Nicety and kindness cut across nationalities, people professing different religions, castes, races, and even skin colours, for nicety and kindness are traits which even a blind can see, deaf can hear, and dumb can speak and understand. These two traits are the universally admired and emulated qualities as people who speak different languages, follow different customs, traditions and cultures (due to their being citizens of different countries) can all understand and relate to it. Nicety and kindness can be felt and is sometimes more discernable in people who are crippled physically or who are mentally or emotionally challenged in any way. In short, these two are beautiful, universally-acclaimed traits and characteristics.

Ironically, people who are genuinely nice do not do it for “show” or for an award or for being praised. It is something which is inbuilt and ingrained in their psyche and it is almost automatic, intuitive and spontaneous to their nature. The act of being nice is like having a second skin, it being a part of their mentality and attitude which is displayed without a second thought. Due to its intrinsic nature, poets and saints have waxed eloquent on people who possess this rare trait of nicety.