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A guide that aims to help readers rediscover one of the highest of human abilities: how to be nice.
List of contents
I. Why We Don't Really Want to Be Nice
1. The Legacy of Christianity: Nice but Weak
2. The Legacy of Romanticism: Nice but Boring
3. The Legacy of Capitalism: Nice but Bankrupt
4. The Legacy of Eroticism: Nice but Unsexy
II. Kindness
1. Charity
2. The Weakness of Strength
3. Losers and Tragic Heroes
4. Motives
5. Suffering and Meanness
6. Politeness
III. Charm
1. What Is the Purpose of Friendship?
2. The Problem of Over-Friendliness
3. How to Overcome Shyness
4. Why Affectionate Teasing Is Kind and Necessary
5. How to Be Warm
6. Why Flirting Matters
7. Why Kind People Always Lie
8. How to Be a Good Listener
9. How to Be Open-Minded
10. How Not to Be Boring
11. How to Talk about Yourself
12. How Not to Rant
13. The Charm of Vulnerability
14. The Ultimate Test of Your Social Skills
About the author
The School of Life is a groundbreaking enterprise which offers good ideas for everyday living. It address such issues as how to find fulfilling work, how to master the art of relationships and how better to understand, and as necessary change, the world – through classes, therapies, books and films. It is headquartered in London, with campuses in Melbourne, Paris, Amsterdam, Sao Paulo, Istanbul, Belgrade, Antwerp, Seoul, Tel Aviv.
Summary
This is a guidebook to the uncharted landscape of niceness, gently leading us around the key themes of this forgotten quality. We learn that niceness is compatible with strength and is no indicator of naivety. Niceness deserves to be rediscovered as one of the highest of all human achievements.
