"This practical guide to rediscovering the lost art of being nice is framed by cultural context and packed with reasons to be a kinder, nicer person."
Part of the Lessons for Life series from The School of Life, On Being Nice is, in essence, a practical guide for how to be nice — a quality that’s all-too overlooked in a world that often measures success in monetary terms, and values, for example, fame and perceived notions of physical beauty over the likes of kindness and empathy.
The book begins with a fascinating run-down through reasons “we don’t really want to be nice”. Namely, it’s seen as being weak, it’s seen as being boring, it’s seen as being the antithesis to capitalist success, and it’s unsexy.
What follows are engaging thoughts on everything from the true meaning of charity, and being more compassionate and empathetic (especially towards “those who annoy us the most”), to the purpose of friendship. Lucid and thought-provoking, On Being Nice presents a pithy, convincing case for being exactly that.
