Recently, I guess, I’ve been really thinking about what it means to be “nice” and to be a “good” person.

1. Typical “Nice”
When people think “nice” they think of this type of person. Let’s call them Jane. Jane doesn’t gossip, doesn’t yell, doesn’t torment others. She doesn’t steal, doesn’t do drugs, doesn’t get into fights. She always does her homework and never gets detention. She rarely has anything mean to say about anybody, even as a joke. She is sweet and innocent: the Picture of nice.
But I don’t think the Janes of the world are “good” people. I mean, they’re not bad people, not by a long shot. They’re just not truly “good”. Actually, I think a better word from “nice” to describe these people is in fact: “obedient”.
From a young age, Jane has been taught that gossiping and saying mean things is bad. She’s been taught to return a lost wallet to the police and to say no to drugs. But essentially, Jane isn’t doing these things because she has a good heart. It’s because she is obedient.
Do you kind of see what I mean?

2. Invisible, Respectful “Nice”
These people are probably the opposite of Janes. Let’s call them Jack. Jack gossips, laughs at people, and teases his friends. When you think "nice", Jack is quite far from your mind. However, Jack is respectful in ways that aren’t really noticed by other people.
Jack doesn’t pry, doesn’t stare, doesn’t pick fights. He is patient and generous, and eager to please. He keeps peace and you almost never see him angry at anybody. Though he gossips, he will never tell your secrets. Jack is never the first to bring up a subject that is difficult for you to talk about.
If you seem sad about something, Jack won’t ask you what’s wrong. He’ll cheer you up.
If you have a secret only Jack isn’t in on, he won’t beg you to tell him too or ask tons of other people. He’ll throw his curiosity out the window and respect your privacy.
If you have an argument with another person right in front of Jack, he won’t stare at you with an open mouth, or barge in and ask what you guys are screaming about. He’ll look or walk away and pretend he didn’t hear a thing.
If you leave your most secret diary, by accident, open in front of Jack’s face, he won’t grab it and rush to the phone. He’ll close his eyes as tightly as he can until he snaps it shut.
If you don’t have a lunch, Jack won’t chew in your face while repeating how sorry he is that you don’t have a lunch (like Jane would do). He will lend you money to buy something, or give you half of his sandwich.
Jack won’t just stand by watching a friend struggle. He’ll offer his help, even if everybody else finds it too tedious or time consuming or gross.
Jack is a good person. He is “nice”. Nobody ever told him to do these things. The Jacks of the world don’t do it because they know that this is what good people do. They do it because it feels right to them, it feels like a good thing to do.

3. No Doubt About it “Nice”
It is impossible not to like these people. Their intentions are so pure, so clear. They have all the integrity in the world. Even if they aren’t “perfectly” nice like Janes, everybody knows, after getting to know these people, that they are nice; that they have good hearts. They’re like Jesus. They is no doubt that these people are good people.

Honestly though, Jacks are so hard to recognize. Janes are, of course, supremely easy to identify.
And Jesuses... well I suppose Jesuses are sent from Heaven to make your day a little more bearable.