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A couple of things jump out at me from your posts. You will not be able to find a good balance of nice vs pushover or kind vs jerky if you are trying to determine what women want and using their desires as some kind of measuring stick or goal. Do your best to be what God wants you to be, and any reasonable woman will want nothing else for or from you. I know that being what God wants you to be is easier said than done, but it seems to me that you're largely overthinking it because you're approaching it from the "how do I be what women want" angle. But of course that's a confusing thing to figure out, because every woman wants something different... and besides, women (humans in general, because humans are flawed and sinful, but I say women because of the context) will sometimes want things that are selfish or unreasonable. That doesn't mean that you should do or become that thing just because it is what a woman wants.So someone that describes nice qualities of you is ultimately a bad thing? Cause being nice is considered bad? Isn't kind the same as nice? I go feed the homeless, is that considered kind but not nice? If it is nice, I guess that's something men should stop doing, cause women don't like that. Yay? Or nay? Kinda having a hard time differentiating kind vs nice.
I am going to be blunt here: if you think this book is responsible for the recent changes in your attitude, then I think you should throw it in the trash. There's a reason why you are not at peace with the latest version of yourself.I don't like the person I'm turning into.
Yeah I have insecurities, its called being human. At least I can admit to them and see them. Want me to show you yours?
So, I'm reading this thread and realize how far off the rails it went. It's really sad, but I think human.
So, the thoughts I have about this modern definition of a nice guy are complicated and difficult to put into words. One way to describe it is with a question.
How many women here have dated a man who, when she asked where he wanted to eat Friday night on their date, almost always had no opinion. His answer might have been, "Wherever you want to go". Time after time it seems like he does this. How did that make you feel?
How many women here dated a man who, when you asked him to do something for you, did it, but then expected something in return later which was never discussed prior, and then he got passive aggressive when you said no?
How many women here dated a man who, only wanted to be clingy, constantly wanting to know what you were doing, and seemed to be always under foot? How did that make you feel?
How many women here dated a man who didn't have any decent male friends he could go fishing with on occasion(or insert whatever hobby you might find unoffensive or not detrimental for a decent Christian man)? What did you think when you realized he didn't have his own life?
These are a few of the things a "nice guy", not the kind Utah is talking about because that's the old term and still valid, might do. He is not usually kind. He seems to be looking to get something out of whatever he does, many times, because he is doing way too much and being too clingy.
I doubt I explained that well enough. I tried.
What would really be interesting would be to have had someone post some Godly things a man can do in his life with real life examples for today. I actually thought that's where this thread was headed and why I popped in. I thought it would be interesting and enlightening from a biblical standpoint. I guess I was wrong. Sometimes I'm sorry I try.
Nice - pleasant, agreeable, satisfactory.
Kindness - the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.
Good - to be desired or approved of.
These are their dictionary definitions. I couldn't use 'kind' by itself because that means 'a type of something.'
So I think we should all strive to be kind. We shouldn't be nice because we shouldn't agree on everything the world tells us about. We also shouldn't be approved because the Bible says we should stand out from nonbelievers. So in that way good doesn't fit either.
I know I had said earlier that nice guys are good guys and should be desired but looking at their definitions it seems to me that 'kindness' is the one Jesus would want us to be. And it's also one of the 9 Fruits of the Spirit from Galatians. But so is goodness. I know the word 'good' is used in the Bible especially when He's creating everything in Genesis.
So looking at it from a Christian viewpoint we should also be good as in desired and approved by the Lord.
Okay I looked up good in another dictionary and it means 'morally excellent.' So we should be both kind and good. Not necessarily nice. lol
"Really? How is that working out for you? 50 and not married, and yet your hanging around all the godly women. What happened?"
"I'll type slower so you can keep up."
"Amazingly you've out-dumbed your own dumbness. Welcome to reality, kid."
"Your a old prideful man who thinks because of age alone, your by default superior because no one is above your intellect. You can keep throwing around the word "kid" and how sad I am, but one thing the older generation always forgets about the younger generation is they should watch how they treat them, because we are your replacement."
This is one of the better responses I have seen. Jesus says for if the world hates us then we are good (paraphrasing). So if we confirm to what the world wants us to do, then there's an issue. I mentioned earlier how it doesn't do any good if everyone agrees, because how can we learn from each other or have discussion or grow. What I still try to grasp is how does one go from being kind to being too kind, which turns to nice and not having a backbone, or from being on guard too much to the point where you turn into a self righteous jerk? I still don't know where the line falls, exactly.
Well... I'd go with Maxwell on this. Nice can mean anything. It all depends on how we define 'nice' and whats our basis of 'good'.
I tend to go with what's 'right'. I mean, a guy can be 'good' but not 'right' - and I base that on biblical principles.
To me, being 'nice' though is, like what Bruce said, closely relates to the fruits of the Spirit. So there's that.
As long as the guy seeks God, then I'd know for sure he's on the 'right' track and he will be 'nice' and that is 'good' enough.
So...now that I've looked at the actual definitions of the words does nice guy mean 'pushover?' I guess in that sense, nice guys really do finish last...that was something I never thought to be true but now...maybe. It's all about the meaning of the words, I guess.
And, a small head - based on the pair of eye-glasses in that avatar...(I think a man is supposed to have a single, huge eyeball in his forehead...
but then again, I may be biased.)
"No doubt about it..."The term 'nice guy' has apparently changed very drastically in the past 50 years...
"Oh! I know! ...one-eye vision-correction lens-holding apparatus / appliance..."Oh wait - I guess that would be...
Peace and blessings to you, Shouryu. Thank you for sharing as you have, and I will ponder it all. Just know, there's no pride here with me, my Brother, just finding it funny that someone who speaks against niceness gets so upset when someone is not nice to him. But I digress and revert back to post #104.My brothers, put this behind you. No good can come of this. To continue further is an exercise in pride, to prove one's own correctness over the other. We must humble ourselves, step away from the contention, forgive each other in love, and leave the who's-right-and-who's-wrong to God, because clearly, it is not with any of us.
Peace and blessings,
Shour