The Revolution Will Not Be Polite: The Issue Of Nice Versus Good

In this article, the author Rachael implores the readers to distinguish the notion of goodness and the notion of niceness. A world where people are nice to each other is not necessarily a world where social justice resides. Niceness can be found in both an oppressed world and a fair world. Whereas, social justice is only found in a world where equal rights are given to all people.  A big part of Rachael’s focus in this article is the double face of niceness. She believes niceness is a weapon that fools people unknowingly. While violent people are easy to identify as oppressors, kind people, even though supporting the same immoral beliefs as the persecutors, can be mistaken for friends. In addition, she warns us that niceness is not only used as a mask to hide one’s true face, but also as a weapon to gain more power. An abuser can pretend to be kind to lure his victim into a trap. And that, she adds, is exactly what is happening in the world today. The oppressors gain more control over the oppressed because of the conflation of nice and good. Furthermore, she also clarifies that meanness should not be confused with oppression. A just world is a not a place void of hurtful insults, but rather a place void of oppressive insults. On the other hand, Rachael raises the issue of people misunderstanding the concept of privilege as a consequence of their lack of distinction between niceness and goodness. She then enlightens the readers about the true meaning of privilege. Privilege is a form of advantage giving to specific groups of people depending on the law, the socio-cultural norms…  In addition, she also warns us about cultural narratives that reinforce social hierarchy and stereotypes. In conclusion, Rachael urges the readers to grasp the true meaning of goodness and social justice because it is a necessary condition to be able to violently break free from the power of the oppressors.