"If you can't say anything Nice, don't say anything at all."

[teisjm]

Well, it's just a matter of defining "nice" in the context.

If your brother tells you about some teacher beeing an ass-hat, and you find it nice to know, then it is nice.

If you hold a gun to someones head and tells them you'll blow their brains out if they try to fuck with you again, it's still nicer than just blowing tehir brains out without giving them a chance to prevent it.

If you tell the grumpy biker he looks tlike a douche in his gang vest, he gets pissed and you gets punched, and no-one benefits, so it's not really nice, for anyone.

If you tell people about how this big corp is fucking up the shore by pumping toxic waste into the ocean, you're not beeing nice to them, but you're beeing nice to everyone esle, even though it's unpleasant news, ti's ebtter to know about it than not to.

If you tell people that they're ass-holes (and you judge that the consequences are not bad for you) cause they piss you off, and you fell better after having stood up to them, you did something nice for yourself.

These are just a few examples.

Nice is not an objective word with a universal meaning, it's situational.

That would be the best way for me to explain teh saying, and somewhat mold it into something usefull, but in the end, it's just a stupid saying.

 

[Scarim Coral]

It's depends on the comment/argument that you want to say. Normally when I do say something negative I try to be respectful as I can (again depend on the argument) like e.g. "Sorry if I offend you but..." If your comment is troll like or too negative that you disrespect the thing intentionally then don't comment at all.

 

[Something Amyss]

So, I heard this very quote in Fallout New Vegas. Through some digging I learned that it could have originated from Bambi in the 1940's. Now, considering how we are today and the people we meet...does this old wives tale still hold water?

To me, if my brothers know a person is a total douche, I want them to tell me about it. If a teacher is specifically picking on them I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT. I want to know how much of a douche these people are and decide whether that person has had a bad day or should be avoided.

What about "You" the people of Escapist. Would you promote such a saying considering the people you have met here or in R.L.? Is this situational? (I don't see it as such, information is always important). Would you teach your own children or siblings this saying? I am actually quite curios.

EDIT: The saying came from Thumper's Father. Thumper was to repeat the sentence after replying that Bambi was "Wobbly". To me Thumper didn't say something mean, he said a fact out loud. AKA Speaking your mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5Bbt9extsg

[youtube width="200" height="200"]C5Bbt9extsg[/youtube]

P.S. Damn it, it's not showing the video clip.

It's not an old wive's tale. That would be something more like "douching with cola prevents pregnancy." This cliché, adage, saying, or whatever is still used today, but does it hold water? People said bad things in the 40s, too. I guess it never held water.

But then, my personal philosophy of "you don't have to be a complete utter dick to people all the time" is now somehow considered "politically correct," rather than "a good way to avoid a coworker snapping and bringing a chainsaw to work," so what do I know?

 

[The Lunatic]

Some people deserve to be told to shut the fuck up.

 

[Lyri]

 

 

[Lyri]

I so wish there was a way to blank post on the Escapist right now. XD

Double post to point out you can.

 

[[.redacted]]

The things is, some things are just plain bad.

You can't go through life pretending everything is all flowers and happiness, because it isn't, and someone's going to have to say so.

 

[Vivvav]

Fuck that shit.

 

[Baby Tea]

I think the saying only really applies in cases where people just say "bad things" just for the sake of saying it or just to be a dick.
I don't think it applies to keeping your mouth shut if something bad is happening to your or not snitching.

Well that was easy.
Totally that.

It's not about warning someone about someone else's poor behaviour, or pointing out the inaccuracies of an argument or something. It's about saying something pointless and obviously hurtful either because you can, or because you're just being a dick.

And yes, that absolutely holds water.
Being a dick needlessly just solidifies that you are, in fact, a dick.

 

[Negatempest]

Okay, video fixed so people could understand a little more on the saying.

I will say this. We can think about the most appropriate time for this "saying" to be used. But if you tell your younger siblings/kids this saying will they quickly and easily come up with the many situational reasons this saying is applied? Thumper was very blunt. Not a jerk, not mean, not even sarcastic. He was blunt, I have seen not only one of my brothers like this, but other kids as well. They just like to speak their mind in a form that what they see they say.

 

[TeeBs]

I think a better saying would be this, if you have nothing worth saying, don't say anything at all.

 

[2fish]

I so wish there was a way to blank post on the Escapist right now. XD

I am with you there.

It is a nice idea but you do have to speak the truth; don't lie but don't say anything mean tend to contradict each other.


Does this shirt make me look fat?

 

[Betancore]

I don't really believe in that at all - there's nothing wrong with being nice, but I think it's equally bad to just shut up about everything that displeases you. Although it's unnecessary to be a dick for no reason, I don't see why you can't say things that aren't nice in a tactful way.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I don't really believe in that at all - there's nothing wrong with being nice, but I think it's equally bad to just shut up about everything that displeases you. Although it's unnecessary to be a dick for no reason, I don't see why you can't say things that aren't nice in a tactful way.

It's advice for children, and children like/need absolutes.

It's practical teaching because children are self-absorbed and don't really understand consequence in the same way...they also have a habit of stating the obvious. Your kid stating "you're really fat" or "you're really ugly" upon meeting someone, may be astute observation...but it's also very embarassing for the parents and the person who just got verbally abused.

 

[Airhead]

I don't really believe in that at all - there's nothing wrong with being nice, but I think it's equally bad to just shut up about everything that displeases you. Although it's unnecessary to be a dick for no reason, I don't see why you can't say things that aren't nice in a tactful way.

It's advice for children, and children like/need absolutes.

It's practical teaching because children are self-absorbed and don't really understand consequence in the same way...they also have a habit of stating the obvious. Your kid stating "you're really fat" or "you're really ugly" upon meeting someone, may be astute observation...but it's also very embarassing for the parents and the person who just got verbally abused.

Right, so there's this thing on one hand, telling someone "you're fat", just because. Now in this case it sure is better to just shut up. Fat people don't need to have their obesity pointed out on every occasion to know they're fat. Such remarks don't serve any purpose other than hurt the person they're directed at.

And then there's real constructive criticism, which is genuinely useful for improvement. If you made a drawing and everyone's just going 'ooh' and 'aah' over it, that doesn't give you anything you can use to get better. A negative but civil remark, like 'the proportions seem off' or 'you didn't get the perspective right' directs you to a problem you might have missed. So OP's saying is not something to follow every single time.

 

[Ickorus]

It's basically a clean version of one of my favourite phrases "Don't be an asshole".

I'd say it's more about not being rude or mean to people who haven't done anything to provoke such a reaction from you.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I don't really believe in that at all - there's nothing wrong with being nice, but I think it's equally bad to just shut up about everything that displeases you. Although it's unnecessary to be a dick for no reason, I don't see why you can't say things that aren't nice in a tactful way.

It's advice for children, and children like/need absolutes.

It's practical teaching because children are self-absorbed and don't really understand consequence in the same way...they also have a habit of stating the obvious. Your kid stating "you're really fat" or "you're really ugly" upon meeting someone, may be astute observation...but it's also very embarassing for the parents and the person who just got verbally abused.

Right, so there's this thing on one hand, telling someone "you're fat", just because. Now in this case it sure is better to just shut up. Fat people don't need to have their obesity pointed out on every occasion to know they're fat. Such remarks don't serve any purpose other than hurt the person they're directed at.

And then there's real constructive criticism, which is genuinely useful for improvement. If you made a drawing and everyone's just going 'ooh' and 'aah' over it, that doesn't give you anything you can use to get better. A negative but civil remark, like 'the proportions seem off' or 'you didn't get the perspective right' directs you to a problem you might have missed. So OP's saying is not something to follow every single time.

That's what I said too. Adults have the necessary ability to justify using their own discretion. The absolutism is for the kiddies.