29 replies to this topic

[WoIverine]

little_dreamer, on 12 April 2012 - 11:57 PM, said:

I used to be nice, until life kicked it out of me.

Hate when that happens, i feel ya.

[Leave Britney alone!]

I favor the belief that there are people who are genuinely nice and others who posture due to social recognition or reward. The truly nice remain so during hardship, when no one is looking, and towards strangers.

Prairie voles have receptors for oxytocin and vasopressin while meadow and montane do not. Prairie voles have the capability to form enduring relationships while the other two types of voles do not.

Female laboratory rats will fear younger rats not their own. When given a dose of oxytocin they will care for and mother the young stranger rats instead.

Niceness here is not simply being nice but also being sociable and willing to contribute to society. The civic component discussed in the OP's article alludes to that.

I do think some people are born nice while others have to work really hard at it if they want to be evenly nice. Loving your own but disfavoring strangers outside your group is not nice but is instead being biased.

[Still Waters]

Even the nicest of people can have 'a not so nice' moment when things get too much for them, even though they might not mean to at the time. Nobody is perfect, it's part of being human.

[highdesert50]

Makes sense from an evolutionary psychology perspective that we evolved this trait so as to better deal with living within the safety of a tribal setting.

[C235]

Once I shared my food with my enemies & they were barely human :D

[Mnemonix]

I think I have nice genes.

Edited by Mnemonix, 04 October 2012 - 02:18 PM.

[Ninhursag]

This goes hand in hand with the statement that serrial killers are simply genetically inclined to become that. I think this is nonsense.

I can understand the fact that they might inherit some mental illnesses, but that doesn't make them murderers.

Same thing with being good or nice. I think people choose what to be themsleves. Unless they've been traumatized in their childhood and that sort of things.

[glorybebe]

My belief is that it is a combination between nurture and nature.  Sure, we could be born with the right genes to be nice…but if we are raised in a family setting that promotes nastiness, then a learned behaviour will definitely impact any natural inclinations.

[WhyDontYouBeliEveMe]

Princess Serenity, on 12 April 2012 - 08:19 PM, said:

I'm one of the nicest people you ever know. I'm not lying. I'm super nice. And my mom and dad are nice too.

proof it .. give me all your money ..     then i ll find you nice and tells the world you are nice .!

[IamsSon]

The fact there are people who are nice, does not necessarily support the idea of a genetic predisposition to niceness.  The most raw human reactions have to come from babies and toddlers who are still in the process of learning and what we see in these kids is that we are inherently self-interested, not inherently altruistic.  You don't have to teach a baby to stop sharing, you don't have to teach a baby to throw a tantrum when they don't get what they want, you don't have to teach a child to stop taking responsibility for the "bad" things others do.  No, parents spend countless hours teaching kids to share, to stop taking things away from other kids, to stop thinking everything is "Mine!" teaching them not to throw temper tantrums, to admit they were the one who broke the vase or hit the other kid.

[Bling]

I'm nice, and I'll kick anyone who says I'm not!  

[Mr Right Wing]

highdesert50, on 13 April 2012 - 04:10 PM, said:

Makes sense from an evolutionary psychology perspective that we evolved this trait so as to better deal with living within the safety of a tribal setting.

The nice employee -
1. Has good interpersonal relationships.
2. Makes lasting friendships.
3. Leaves others with a good impression.
4. People trust and respect them.
5. Likely to be promoted into a leadership role (if they are dominant).

The bad employee -
1. Has bad interpersonal relationships leading to arguments and conflicts.
2. No one likes them and has no real friends.
3. Others look for reasons to get revenge and bring them down.
4. No one trusts them.
5. If allowed they will manipulate their way into a leadership role but wont peform in it due to poor people skills.

Being nice towards everyone gets you further in life so long as you take no rubbish off the bad.

[Lilly]

I'm nice until it's time to not be nice.

[Orcseeker]

little_dreamer, on 12 April 2012 - 11:57 PM, said:

I used to be nice, until life kicked it out of me.

Don't let life beat you and define who you are in a negative way. Just smile in its face and continue as you.

[UFO_Monster]

I am reluctant to believe what this article entails. "Niceness" lies not in our genes, but in our will. We make choices, good or bad. Some people are born in unhappy families, and become unhappy themselves. Others might try the opposite thing, or "the Golden Rule." But what do I know? I'm no scientist...