B2 – Upper Intermediate
We often describe someone as “nice or kind” rather than “nice and kind”, primarily due to the common perception of these two words being synonymous. According to researchers, one represents a significantly superior quality compared to the other, though.
Read this article to learn the difference between nice and kind.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nice-kind-difference_l_650b53ffe4b0d75184692b0e
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “to go to great lengths” mean? “While a nice person might go to great lengths to gain approval from others (potentially even causing harm in the process), a kind person engages in generous acts built on a foundation of self-love.” Use this idiom in a sentence.
- Define “fall short”. “By contrast, he believes niceness falls short of deep impact, perhaps in part due to its roots in notions of ignorance.” Use this in a sentence.
- What does “to let someone down” mean? “Sometimes being kind may mean letting someone down in the short term…” Make a sentence with this phrase.
Discussion Questions:
- How do “nice” and kind” differ from each other according to the article?
- How do you personally set the difference between being “nice” and being “kind” and which quality do you value more in your interactions with others?
- In your opinion, which is more valuable in building meaningful relationships – niceness or kindness?
- Can you recall a time when someone’s kindness had a significant impact on your life and how did it make you feel?
- According to Plante, “Our world is so fractured. We are very quick to be mean to each other and even cruel.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement?