When Being Nice Is Ignorant

Yesterday, I played a word game when a question and the answer struck me as odd. I researched the word’s etymology to verify what I read and was intrigued to find the answer was correct. This was not because I did not believe the game’s researchers but because I would never have thought this word had any connection with its origin. 

The word is nice. It seems to be a simple enough word. It is used to describe a lot of things. By definition, it means pleasant, agreeable, and satisfactory. It is a word that everyone seems to use. However, the word nice comes from the Latin word, nescius meaning "ignorant, unaware," literally "not-knowing.

I thought about this quite a bit. How does not knowing translate into nice? I was unable to find how the word has changed over the years. However, I would like to share what I think is a possibility.

Today, people use the term ignorant incorrectly. Some think the terms ignorant and unintelligent are the same thing. This is not correct. We are all ignorant in certain areas, but we are certainly not all unintelligent.

I believe that the connection between being ignorant and being nice is a willingness. Many things separate us from others. We must choose to forget who we are or who the other people are.

We must willingly put ourselves on the same playing field as those around us. Willingly forget class, ethnicity, background, and anything else that may hinder you from being nice. Those things exist, but when communicating with others, willingly put those things aside. They truly mean nothing anyway.

Jesus willingly laid down what others saw as a higher place to talk to those who were “beneath” him. He talked to the Samaritan woman, something the Jews would never do, first because she was a Samaritan and second because she was a woman. He allowed the children to come to him, despite the thoughts of others that children should be seen and not heard. He spoke to the lepers who were societal outcasts.

Today, we hear of celebrities becoming rude because someone does not know who he or she is. It does not matter who you are. It is more important to treat others as if they are more important than you are.

Let us strive to be nice. Willingly become ignorant of the things that separate us from those around us. Strive for humility. Strive to love.   Regardless of how diverse we may be, we are all part of humankind.

Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.