Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down Which Things 'Nice People' Do That Really Get Under Their Skin

People Break Down Which Things 'Nice People' Do That Really Get Under Their Skin
Image by Anita S. from Pixabay

Sometimes "nice" and "kind" don't perfectly align.


"Nice" often describes social politeness. We use the word to describe people that can talk the talk well enough to embody the image of a good person who thinks about others first and doesn't ever step on toes.

But is that always the best approach to interacting with others?

Sometimes kindness requires confrontation. A more active, direct demeanor can lead to more substantial and worthwhile connections with others.

A recent Reddit thread asked for the finest examples of people being "nice" without being "kind."

berkel-is-a-madlad asked, "What's something 'nice' people do, that juts pisses you off?"

Clogging Everything Up

"Letting me turn left at the stop sign when they're going straight. YOU WERE THERE FIRST JUST F***ING GO." -- collinnator5

"Rule of thumb when driving: Don't be polite; be predictable." -- DP_Lover

"Stopping in the middle of busy road to let a Jay Walker cross.." -- Grapesoda2223

Stalemate

"'Go ahead.'"

"'Oh, no, you go ahead.'"

"'It's cool, you go ahead.'" -- TheButtUglySwans

"The Canadian Standoff." -- MyNameThru

"There could be a wizard on the other side of that door! I'm not trying to be nice, I'm trying to save my hide!" -- SiroMPP

Too Much Hang Time  

"Holding the door open for me when I'm more than 15 feet away from the door. Also the waving me through a stop sign when they have the right of way like mentioned earlier." -- Dinx81

"Don't break your pace. Hold your arm behind you if you think the next person can grab it in time, but otherwise just let it go. Doors aren't impossibly heavy anyway." -- UltimaCaitSith

"Also, in covid times, opening the door for me period. I do not know how to respond to this." -- MermaidRumspringa

Dishonest and Evasive 

"I'm overweight. I hate it when people pretend I'm not overweight. It's totally fine if they think I'm pretty or attractive or simply not ugly despite or because of my weight, but they can't say I'm not." -- Silver-Thing2724

"I have some stick friends who are always like "gosh I'm so fat" and if I say anything about me being fat they go "omg nooo you're so skinny!!" like bruh I am visibly bigger than you pls stop" -- AdditionalBread1

Questionable Motives

"People who help those in need, but then feel the need to film it or post about it on social media. Why? Just help in private and stop humiliating them." -- future_nefertiti

"I used to work with someone that did this. So unbelievably annoying and only makes the person look worse." -- crazylittlemermaid

"Obligatory Steve Buscemi was a volunteer firefighter and helped during 9/11 but he made sure no one knew about it." -- Phil-Michaels

Let's Dial It Down a Notch

"Aggressive morning greetings. Ok hear me out on this. I understand it's 'polite' to greet people when you walk in to the office, but when I have headphones on and you aggressively say good morning over and over, louder and louder, until I have to respond, not cool."

"Just let me be."

-- Ahnamal

Please Hold All Applause Until the Very End

"When people feel the need to bless me with EVERY sneeze. I'll sneeze 5+ times and people will really start to get frustrated with me for having to say bless you too many times."

"Not even God himself can bless me that much!"

-- MellowMikeTho

Thoughtful vs. Nosy 

"I understand the reason and know they do it with the best intentions but ...the prying that some nice people do- learn how to take a hint and drop it." -- Maskholer

"That's kinda messed up, people who pry like that are not nice imo. A nice person would respect boundaries." -- olivermorning

Demanding Masked Emotions 

"Harass me to smile. Does it look like my job to be the cheery background character to their life?" -- 3FoolsinaTrenchcoat

"Their premise appears to be that you are obliged to express yourself only in ways they find enjoyable."

"This is not the behavior of one who views another as an equal, IMO." -- JustAPerspective

Passivity Is Not an Asset

"Being spineless. Standing up for yourself and having opinions does not automatically make you a bi*** or a Karen."

"You can very politely disagree with people or ask for a store employee to fix an issue."

-- Altrano

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Miriam Margolyes
David Levenson/Getty Images

'Harry Potter' Star Miriam Margolyes Offers Mic Drop Explanation For Why Respecting Pronouns Matters

Sometimes it is just that easy to make people happy. This is a lesson learned over and over in our lives, but that's because it's an important one.

Actor Miriam Margolyes shared how she learned to change her behavior to make others happier. Margolyes appeared on The Graham Norton Show recently and brought up a fairly polarizing subject in the United Kingdom: trans people.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk looks on during a public appearance, as the billionaire once again turns a newsroom style decision into a culture-war grievance broadcast to millions on X.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Elon Musk Cries Racism After Associated Press Explains Why They Capitalize 'Black' But Not 'White'

Elon Musk has spent the year picking fights, from health research funding to imagined productivity crises among federal workers and whether DOGE accomplished anything at all besides leaving chaos in its wake.

His latest grievance, however, is thinly disguised as grammatical. Specifically, he is once again furious that the Associated Press (AP) capitalizes “Black” while keeping “white” lowercase.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk; Yale University School of Engineering and Applied Science
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images; Plexi Images/GHI/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Elon Musk Gets Brutal Wakeup Call After Claiming That Yale's Lack Of Republican Faculty Is 'Outrageous Bigotry'

Elon Musk—who has repeatedly whined about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)—took to his social media platform to whine about a lack of conservative faculty at Yale University.

Musk shared data compiled by The Buckley Institute (TBI), a conservative-leaning organization founded at Yale in 2010. TBI found 82.3% of faculty self-identified as Democrats or primarily supporting Democratic candidates, 15% identified as independents, while only 2.3% identified as Republicans.

Keep ReadingShow less
Barry Manilow
Mat Hayward/Getty Images

Barry Manilow Speaks Out After Postponing Farewell Tour Dates Due To Lung Cancer Scare

"Looks Like We Made It" singer Barry Manilow is in the process of saying goodbye to the stage and meeting his fans in-person, but he has to press pause for a few months after receiving a jarring diagnosis.

On December 22, 2025, the "Mandy" singer posted on Facebook, explaining that a "cancerous spot" had been discovered on his left lung.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Endgame, the last time audiences saw Captain America before his unexpected return was teased for Avengers: Doomsday.
Disney/Marvel Studios

Marvel Just Confirmed That Chris Evans Is Returning For 'Avengers: Doomsday'—And Fans Have Mixed Feelings

Folks, once again, continuity is more of a suggestion than a rule in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel has officially confirmed that Chris Evans is returning as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday, and the internet has responded exactly how you’d expect: screaming, celebrating, arguing, and a very justified side-eye toward how Sam Wilson keeps getting treated.

The confirmation comes via a teaser now playing exclusively in theaters ahead of Avatar: Fire and Ash. There is no official online release, despite leaks circulating. If you didn’t catch it on the big screen, Marvel’s response is essentially: sorry, guess you had to be there.

Keep ReadingShow less