Nice

One of the facets of working with people that really gets under my skin is the excess niceness of some individuals. I am all for being nice and genial and a respecter of persons, but when one carries it to the extreme, it leads to a general feeling of falseness. Given enough emphasis, the person will eventually scream "I'M FAKE" from every pore of their being.

Lately, I have been experiencing this facet first hand at work. This particular person seems to be one that strongly desires affirmations from others. I am not sure of the reasons behind such behavior, nor do I want to try to plumb their depths by nosing into this person's business. However, some days, it's all I can do not to just slap the "nice" out of her. Many of the customers "love" her and are always calling for her because they believe she is "looking out for them". In reality, she wants to be their "hero". I used to think that of her when I was in the store, but when I began to really work around her, I noticed a lot of inconsistencies. She is always "nice" and "helpful" when on the phone, but when you are around her for a long period of time, you realize that it's all a show to get people to like her.

Less anyone misunderstands me, I am all for being nice and helpful but for the right reasons. Don't act nice to someone's face and then turn around and talk about them. Be honest and forthcoming. Some things can't be sugar-coated with icky false sincerity. If Cinderella's shoe hurts her ingrown toenail, she still needs to wear it because it's her shoe. And lastly, if more people practiced letting people like them for who they are and not for the front they put up, this world would be a little "nicer" place.