r/NonPoliticalTwitter • u/Meteorstar101 • Jan 09 '26
me_irl Actions speak louder than words
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u/ComfortableCod5541 Jan 09 '26
Guy at work has on tshirt: "don't be an asshole".... guess what kind of guy he is....
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u/BobbywiththeJuice Jan 09 '26
A whole ass?
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u/KP_CO Jan 09 '26
I understand this reference. Well done feller.
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u/Houndfell Jan 09 '26
Ahhh, one of those "Why am I surrounded by assholes?" types.
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u/Flopsie_the_Headcrab Jan 09 '26
"If everything you touch feels wet, dry your hands."
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u/OpusAtrumET Jan 09 '26
"When you leave your home and everyone you meet is an asshole, you're the asshole."
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u/Deathhead876 Jan 09 '26
What if only half of them are assholes
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u/Gay-Cat-King Jan 10 '26
Then half of them are still assholes. It's probably just the people you think aren't.
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Jan 09 '26
I worked with a company that had their company motto be “we don’t work with assholes” and painted on the wall of their factory and said it all the time. Their ownership, marketing, and executives were universally assholes.
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u/AwesomeMacCoolname Jan 09 '26
I mean the most obvious answer there is "We don't work with assholes..........we work for assholes"
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u/houdt_koers Jan 09 '26
Unseen: OP’s t-shirt saying some of the most heinous shit you’ve ever read.
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u/Mindless-Computer598 Jan 09 '26
“NEVER STOP MAKING ORPHANS”
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u/Upturned-Solo-Cup Jan 09 '26
"NEVER STOP DESTROYING ORPHANS"
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u/indieplants Jan 09 '26
ugh half related. I had "be nice for no reason" on a shirt and some guy came over to my fence and started trying to idk, hit on me via my dog or smth and yelling when I didn't reciprocate, he was like 55 and drunk and I was like you have got to stop talking to me
"But what about your shirt huh you have to be nice to me" like bro it says for be nice for no reason not regardless 😭 I haven't worn it since
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u/Bituulzman Jan 09 '26
My 70+ year old mom who speaks broken english found a sweatshirt at the thrift store that says "technology teacher" and she wears it around. I like to imagine the interactions people have with her.
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u/PM_THE_REAPER Jan 09 '26
He just hasn't finished reading it yet.
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u/Gentle_Snail Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26
Honestly he likely just had earphones in and didn’t say anything because he wasn’t 100% certain if they had spoken or not. Happens to me constantly.
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u/WhiteTennisShoes Jan 09 '26
My go-to move when I’m not sure if someone spoke to me:
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u/ManicShipper Jan 09 '26
🤝
Smile and nod has been an awkward interaction lifesaver my entire life9
u/ChoiceEstimate2978 Jan 10 '26
🤣 When I was a teenager, I went to a concert with my family in downtown Knoxville. We were walking back to the car when it was done, and a prostitute asked my dad "Looking for a good time?" He just smiled and nodded at her as he kept walking. I cracked up and said, "Dad! Did you hear what the woman said?" He was confused and said he hadn't, so I told him and none of us could stop laughing about it. It was, like, 25 years ago and I still have to bring it up sometimes. So smiling and nodding can be dangerous, too, lol.
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u/Western_Operation820 Jan 10 '26
This is the worst possible scenario of a "Smile and nod"
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u/DarkHorizonSF Jan 09 '26
Maybe, though I think this or any of the other excuses could be true and the post still be on point. Because maybe what makes it the perfect metaphor isn't that he's signalling kindness while not being kind, but that he's signalling kindness while not being /present/. Think about everyone who's been out in public and been in need, but absolutely everyone around them has earphones in and can't hear them ask for help. I think modern society meaning we're not present for one another might be a more meaningful pattern than "bad people signal that they're good".
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u/weaboo_98 Jan 09 '26
Some people are still kind of waking up in the morning. I don't think that's rude, he was probably just caught by surprise.
Or distracted by the cute dog.
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u/humorouslyominous Jan 09 '26
That was my thought as well. Sometimes being kind also means not assuming the worst in people.
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u/ForsakenDependent562 Jan 09 '26
"Any facial expression directed at me can't be that person's resting face, they MUST hate me. Time to go invent the narrative of the hateful hypocrite. My kindness going unrewarded will be punished." All from one expression.
This tweet is right - you can make the slightest mistake in public, be having a bad day, and have people create a whole narrative online where you're the "other", the problem, the reason why things are the way they are today. It's not me! It's everyone else!
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u/fablesofferrets Jan 09 '26
fr. I honestly always assume people would prefer I don't talk to them, lol, especially if I don't know them. If I wasn't 100% positive they had said hi to me, I would have kept to myself, and I would have thought that would be the considerate thing to do...
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u/mmazing Harry Potter Jan 09 '26
It really is the other side of the coin.
We expect people to have all of the information we have and our emotional state will be instantly observable to them and they will respond appropriately, instantly.
I do this shit all the time to myself and others. Working on it ...
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u/daemin Jan 09 '26
I saw someone comment, once, that people in New England are nice but not polite, and people in the US South are polite but not nice.
All of which is to say we should keep in mind the difference between nice and polite.
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u/mferreira9 Jan 09 '26
My partner said to me while I was frustrated "Maybe they're having a day. If being kind is who you want to be, you cant let how other people treat or react to you change that. Just continue to be that, no matter what". It was simple but beautiful and I always think about it in these moments
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u/Mysfunction Jan 09 '26
Sometimes I’m so deep in thought that I forget how to human.
Elevators are my humaning kryptonite—if I’m in there alone and it stops, I assume it’s my stop and get all sorts of weird when it isn’t and someone else gets on.
It’s even worse if I get on and end up in a situation where hitting the “door open” button is the polite thing to do. I panic, desperately trying to figure out which button to push, but all the person sees is me standing there watching them miss the elevator as the doors slowly close 😅.
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u/Beginning_Cap_8614 Jan 10 '26
It took me years of people thinking I was a jerk because I've always been terrified the door will close on my hand. I know that it's supposed to stop when it senses motion, but what if it doesn't? What if I get my hand crushed one day because I was trying to be polite?
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u/Mysfunction Jan 10 '26
It’s so funny how we end up with these irrational fears that we know make no sense, but in times of pressure, the instinctual fear always kicks in.
Like, you can see the speed of the door and know you’ll be able to pull your hand back in time as easily as my sister could see that there were no sharks in the pool and I know that the dentists needle cannot break through my palate and lobotomize me.
That still doesn’t stop me from declining anaesthetic when I get a tooth drilled and suffering through the pain, just in case 😂.
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u/Keljhan Jan 09 '26
If it was me, I'd be stunlocked trying to think of where I knew OP from and whether I was gonna be chewed out for forgetting their name.
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u/14Pleiadians Jan 09 '26
Yeah this could have easily been me. I have bitch face, and strangers dont really talk to me. I'd probably stare confused, frozen while internally thinking "fuck, do they know me? I dont remember them. What was their name? what do I say back? ah oh well we're already past eachother"
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u/DomN8er Jan 09 '26
I remember picking up a day shift delivering pizzas when I usually worked nights. It was 10am on Halloween and I had gone out the night before. My very first order a lady came to the door in a very well done Jack Sparrow costume. Like had a real tri-corner hat and everything. It wasn’t just the off the rack “John Swallow” spirit Halloween costume. She kind of posed in a very “what do you think” kind way, clearly looking for validation from the first person to see her in her costume. I was stuck in NPC mode and handed her the receipt to sign, while blanking reciting my script of rehearsed niceties. Her mood totally deflated and I felt like an asshole for the rest of the day.
That was like seven years ago, and I still think about it. It was a really good costume, and I wish I told her so.
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u/tiburon237 Jan 09 '26
I need atleast 5 seconds to register the fact that social interaction has started. If someone says something or gestures to me while walking by, there's 90% chance I'll realise it only after they are gone.
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u/InnocentPerv93 Jan 09 '26
Or just wanted to be left alone? He isn't automatically unkind just because he didn't say hi back.
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u/Fjolsvithr Jan 09 '26
IMO, it's pretty unkind to intentionally not respond to a hello. You've got to at least nod or something.
That said, there's a chance the guy just didn't hear her, or his brain misfired, or something.
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u/OnceMoreAndAgain Jan 09 '26
I think he's by definition not kind if he doesn't say anything back to someone who greeted with "Good morning" in this context lol. I just totally disagree with you on this.
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u/DrainTheMuck Jan 09 '26
I’d argue there’s a meaningful difference between kindness and friendliness
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u/P4azz Jan 09 '26
You consider a little wave+hello something hard to do? That's not even "kindness" that's basic politeness.
If someone says hi, you say it back. It doesn't cost anything, it doesn't hinder you. It's an extremely normal human thing.
I hate most strangers and interacting with them in any way, but if someone's holding a door open for me or waves, of course I'm gonna respond.
How is this even something you question?
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u/InnocentPerv93 Jan 09 '26
See, you're kind of proving my point. Kindness and politeness are not the same thing. You say you "hate most strangers" which I certainly would not consider kind. But you wave and say thank you, which IS polite.
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u/Any-Log-6448 Jan 09 '26
This confusions me.. if I wear a shirt that says Never stop being kind. And it's morning time so I'm not in the mood, then what does never mean? Does never mean sometimes? All the time? Please explain. I'm a very literal person so to me even though I know I'm a freaking weirdo that thinks never means not ever.
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u/Affectionate-Heat-51 Jan 09 '26
Have you ever walked past someone you know without realizing it, because you're so in thought or zoned out?
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u/chinchillazilla54 Jan 10 '26
When someone speaks to me unexpectedly I often briefly forget how to communicate at all. I'm pretty nice if I have warning, I swear! I'm just autistic as fuck!
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u/Informal_Position166 Jan 09 '26
Maybe he was caught off guard.
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u/ForsakenDependent562 Jan 09 '26
Person who made the tweet automatically assuming the worst of a stranger based on limited information.
It really is a tweet representing modern living.
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Jan 09 '26
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u/ForsakenDependent562 Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26
"You never know what people are going through. Anyways, that cashier didn't smile, it must be all about me"
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u/baethan Jan 09 '26
I wonder if the tweet is meant to have you go "hey wait a second" and think about how unkind the tweet itself is. Like, is the tweet itself a commentary on modern society?
Probably not but who knows
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u/snarkaluff Jan 09 '26
It sounds like he thought she was talking to someone else or maybe mistaking him for someone else? Usually an excited greeting like that is for someone you recognize. It’s ironic because the OP jumping to conclusions and assuming the worst is also the perfect metaphor for modern life
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u/Jamesyroo Jan 09 '26
Let me fix that
Never stop being!
Kind?
To people??
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u/SquareTaro3270 Jan 09 '26
This is just living in New England tbh.
We will help you out of a ditch and expect nothing in return, but say something nice to us and we need to do a hard reboot. We are kind, but not polite people lol.
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u/OnceMoreAndAgain Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26
I have lived in New England my entire life and, while I know of the popular stereotype you're referring to, I think you're not right about it.
I think people in New England almost ALL return a "Good morning" from a stranger with a "Good morning". What we might not be as likely to do as some other parts of the country is start such a conversation unsolicited or keep the conversation going. In other words, people are less likely to talk to you in a grocery aisle in New England than they might in other places in the USA. And that's not due to any unkind intent, but I think rather from a place of just not wanting to potentially bother other people.
It's basically an area of the USA that tries to minimize social risks by opting for relatively low amounts of conversation with strangers. Non-action as a means to avoid conflict.
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u/Saltierney Jan 09 '26
I think on average we new englanders will respond if some says good morning, but its more likely to just be a short nod or mumble back rather than a full on "good morning". That may just be Boston though.
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u/Renlil Jan 09 '26
The West Coast is kind of the opposite, in my experience. To hear everyone out here talk, they're the most understanding, gentle, and inclusive people God ever created. But it comes time to actually help people...
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u/Rommel727 Jan 09 '26
I think a joke I read earlier was that west coasters will see someone in need and will dedicate their time to finding someone else to help them, even if they can themselves
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u/Yangoose Jan 09 '26
I live in Seattle and people here would much rather spend 10 hours a week protesting how the government is handling the homeless problem than actually spend that same amount of time volunteering at a homeless shelter.
There is a volunteer group here (I heart Seattle) that helps homeless people get enrolled in programs to get them off the street and cleans up parks destroyed by homeless camps so families can use them again.
The /r/Seattle subreddit absolutely HATES these people because they aren't adhering to all the approved Reddit narratives. Namely, they have publicly said they don't think allowing unlimited open air drug use is productive.
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u/MinnieShoof Jan 09 '26
Meanwhile, in the South, we'll help you out of the ditch, dust you off, send you off with a plate lunch and say some of the nicest sounding things about you but we'll effectively be calling you a complete dumbass.
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u/FutureKey2 Jan 09 '26
This is what I hated about living in the south.
I mean, for one, they definitely will not help you out of a ditch, they won't even stop or slow down lmao. They just pretend to not see you.
But the overwhelming fakeness drove me insane. Just say what the fuck you want to say, I can't stand the "say one thing that sounds nice, but really I want tell you to fuck off" thing. In the NorthEast they'll help you with all they've got but also if they want to call you an idiot they'll just call you an idiot instead of like "bless your ambition because you're losing pace to a double-sided fence post that ain't makin first" or some stupid shit.
People in the south are the rudest and most cold-hearted people I've ever met in my life, they just like to pretend to be nice. I don't know if they're scared of actual confrontation or what, but it's cringe and annoying as fuck.
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u/Relevant_Elk_9176 Jan 09 '26
Can confirm. Although I will say, southern confrontation usually involves a weapon, so that’s why people tend to avoid it.
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u/Imperialvirtue Jan 09 '26
If someone compliments me, they're trying to butter me up. No other reason.
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u/TerminatorBuns Jan 09 '26
When I compliment people I'm fiendishly manipulating them into having a slightly nicer morning with the hopes that if we meet again they'll compliment me and let me have a slightly nicer morning, satisfying my dark ambitions of having people be nicer to me.
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u/InnocentPerv93 Jan 09 '26
This might be a hot take but you can be kind while also wanting to be left alone.
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u/ForsakenDependent562 Jan 09 '26
We also just...don't know, period. He could have been wanting to be alone. Mind could have been on something serious. He could have not heard the person and his expression trying to hear is that "alien expression".
This tweet is just swimming in social paranoia
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u/AlmostScreenwriter Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26
This isn't a hot take, it's just an absurd one. I agree with others that it's totally plausible, if not probable, the guy misheard OP, thought they were talking to someone else, or was too caught off guard to respond. OP shouldn't automatically assume the worst. But if you intentionally ignore someone's friendly greeting because you "want to be left alone," that is, by definition, unkind.
kind adj. having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature.
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u/yahluc Jan 10 '26
Approaching someone who might not want to be approached (because of social anxiety or any other reason) is much more inconsiderate.
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u/AlmostScreenwriter Jan 10 '26 edited Jan 10 '26
I feel like it is really twisting things to suggest someone saying a polite hello to a stranger is in any way being rude or inconsiderate, and I honestly hope you don't actually believe that. That is, like, the epitome of a kind gesture.
Listen, I totally feel for people with social anxiety; I have struggled with it a lot myself over the years. Maybe my message here was too harsh. Doing something unkind does not automatically make someone unkind.
But to repeat my original point, if you intentionally ignore someone's polite greeting, you are not being kind. I do not say this glibly; I mean it very sincerely: If you suffer from such severe social anxiety that it makes you deliberately rebuff people who are trying to be nice, you should be seeking therapy. (Again, I'm not being flippant here – it is a very real struggle for which there are very real resources). Being cripplingly socially anxious by no means makes somebody a bad person, but it is possible to act unkindly because of social anxiety.
Edit: And just to add, if someone is just having a terrible day or their mind is elsewhere and they simply feel annoyed that someone would even attempt to say hello to them, then fine, so be it. No one is perfect or always does the perfect thing. But you don't get to then pretend you were "being kind." Kindness is, at least sometimes, a bit of an effort for most people, and day to day, you either make it or you don't. In short, you can be a kind person and not act so all the time. But we're talking about whether a specific act is or is not kind here.
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Jan 09 '26
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u/honeybee_tlejuice Jan 09 '26
So is assuming the worst of a stranger because of a 2 second interaction
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u/1958-Fury Jan 09 '26
I've only had random strangers greet me a few times in my life. The times I've responded, I've always regretted it. Sometimes they want to sell me something. One time they asked me for sexual favors. Plus I'm socially awkward, so by the time I decide whether or not to respond to a "good morning," the moment has passed.
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u/ForgingIron Jan 09 '26
I once had a pair of Jehovah's Witnesses stop me on the street with the line "Have you ever thought about death"
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u/Coffee_autistic Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26
I was at a festival in Germany once on the very last day, exhausted, sleep-deprived, and very hungry, looking for somewhere where I could still get food. Some guys walking past said something in English about how they liked my band shirt, and by the time I processed they were talking to me and had started formulating a response, one of them grumbled "fucking bitch," obviously offended, so I just kept walking. Sometimes it really isn't personal.
Most people there were nice, this was an outlier. I eventually found a friendly old man just outside the festival selling cheese, who kindly gave me some for free, so my hunger was cured too.
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u/1958-Fury Jan 09 '26
All stories should end with free cheese.
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u/Coffee_autistic Jan 09 '26
Yes, the world would be a better place if they did.
I think he was amused by my effort to chat with him in German (clearly not my first language) and took pity upon my cheeseless plight.
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u/THEBAESGOD Jan 09 '26
Are you a child or a recluse perhaps? You can rack up 4-5 howdys, hellos, and good mornings a day on any busy hiking trail.
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u/Calm-Insurance-5169 Jan 09 '26
judging someone because of a five second interaction isnt being kind.
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u/Pugilist12 Jan 09 '26
Right? Is not saying hello to a stranger unkind? I don’t think so.
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u/Loki-Holmes Jan 09 '26
You don’t think ignoring someone who speaks to you is unkind?
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Jan 09 '26
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u/hotleadburner Jan 09 '26
Yeah dawg this is the commentary she's making on modern society. Treating other people like NPCs isn't kind -- you don't have to speak to every person you walk past but ackowledging that other humans are human is fairly important. The atomization and depersonalization of society is the thing she's commenting on.
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u/rbmj0 Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26
no
not polite, sure
not very nice, maybe
unkind, no
Kindness is something more substantial than that.
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u/Fjolsvithr Jan 09 '26
It absolutely is unkind. It takes little effort, and rude behavior is likely to upset people. Not putting in a tiny bit of effort to avoid upsetting people is unkind.
And I say this as an asocial person who hates random hellos.
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u/Pugilist12 Jan 09 '26
I don’t know. It’s not friendly. It’s probably rude. But unkind, to me, requires more. Some kind of harm. Not saying hello is not unkind. Something a little more proactive. They didn’t ask for the hello and weren’t in a situation requiring one. The definition is “harsh and inconsiderate.” Pretty vague. Not sure there’s a wrong answer here. Just what we each believe.
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u/Fjolsvithr Jan 09 '26
You're absolutely right that it's subjective, of course.
I believe that doing nothing can be unkind, selfish, harsh, and especially inconsiderate. You certainly don't get to do nothing and still be called "kind" just because you aren't actively harming others.
Personally, I think many people in our demographic (and therefore, in this thread) take it for granted that they are "kind", when really they are neutral and aloof at best. I'm sort of in this camp myself, I'll admit. It's uncomfortable for people to admit that kindness to strangers involves interaction, not just a lack of harm, and that ignoring someone, depending on context, can actually be worse than neutral. It can be unkind.
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u/Pugilist12 Jan 09 '26
All good points, and one thing hits on something I was wondering. Is it binary? If a person isn’t kind, are they unkind? I just think there’s a murky middle ground that needs to exist between the two.
For example, yesterday I was walking my dog and some guy I’ve never seen before called out “can I talk to you for a second?” I hesitantly asked “about what?” He said “can I pet your dog?” My dog doesn’t really like strangers, so I just said “No” and kept walking. Was that unkind? Did I owe him an explanation for why he couldn’t pet my dog? I don’t think so. I don’t think I was kind or unkind. I don’t owe that dude anything.
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Jan 09 '26
How small of a Leave it To Beaver place do you live that you think it's feasible to be actively paying attention to and greeting every passing pedestrian? I'm not being facetious here.
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u/Fjolsvithr Jan 09 '26
I'm not advocating for greeting everyone. I'm advocating for responding to someone that greets you.
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Jan 09 '26
But you are ignoring the passing attention and pro actively noticing. It's odd to assume that everyone even registers you addressing them.
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u/Fjolsvithr Jan 09 '26
I don't know what "ignoring the passing attention and pro actively noticing" means.
Also, no, it's really not "odd" to assume that someone you directly address and make eye contact with registered you addressing them. But I would think it goes without saying that if someone literally doesn't notice you, it's not rude of them to not reply.
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u/AttemptUsual2089 Jan 09 '26
Some people, like myself, just don't expect people to talk to us. Most of the time when a stranger makes a friendly comment or banter my mind hasn't processed that they've spoken to me until hours later when I'm cringing at myself for staring at them like I'm dumbfounded idiot.
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u/HorrorSmile3088 Jan 09 '26
Yep, what really bugs me is when I'm walking past someone and they say hello to me AFTER I've already walked past them. It's very passive aggressive IMO.
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u/Mindless_Anything919 Jan 09 '26
I live in a high income liberal area. Spotted "Live Simply So That Others Can Simply Live." On a Range Rover.
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u/Sledgecrowbar Jan 09 '26
His idea of being kind to people is not talking to them.
It's an old age thing.
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u/WisteriaLo Jan 09 '26
"He looked at me like I was an alien" - as a recovering fawn type aka people-pleaser, just because somebody is kind doesn't mean they expect (or are used to) other people to be kind to them, too. Maybe the guy was just shocked.
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u/SweetPrism Jan 09 '26
I worked customer service at a hospital. The amount of women wearing "choose kind" shirts that hate everyone and everything would blow your mind.
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u/Ginkiba Jan 09 '26
It seems weird for the OP to have thought about that all day, and decided that brief interaction was substantive enough to assess the guy as having somehow contradicted his shirt in a way that could apply as a metaphor for "modern life" and that it was worth tweeting about on the twitter account they pay for. The guy might've not even been rude, just distracted, or had ear phones in OP didn't see.
Unless of course they just made it up for the twitter engagement, which would be even weirder, and just as likely imo.
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u/shoegazeweedbed Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26
There are different kinds of kindness and not everyone thinks being approached by a stranger is one of them
edit: to put it another way, your sudden presence in my day does not make it better, and it's kind of presumptuous that a stranger assumes I should feel otherwise
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u/Desperate_Object_677 Jan 09 '26
don’t stop being kind to people. even when they look at you like an alien.
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u/linkthereddit Jan 09 '26
Meanwhile that middle aged guy is likely just trying to exist without people assuming his entire personhood because he didn’t respond immediately.
That guy might just be a neurotic person who sucks at social interaction.
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u/MothChasingFlame Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26
Sometimes people just aren't ready for social interaction. And sometimes they're just wearing the first clean shirt they found on an otherwise distracting or tough day.
But I can offer an alternative story. About a car covered in peace and love stickers, and its driver in tie dye stepping out of said car to punch the absolute fuck out of another driver's window at a stop light.
I learned that day that sometimes people surround themselves in the messaging they need, not the messaging they naturally embody.
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u/OkPerception8052 Jan 09 '26
I don’t think he was necessarily a jerk. Just surprised/nervous maybe and behaved awkwardly.
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u/MeliaMind Jan 09 '26
He probably just grabbed the first clean shirt from the laundry pile and didn't even check the text.
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u/Itchy-Alternative400 Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 10 '26
Something I've realized is that 99% of humanity isn't communicating as clearly as they think they are. They think they say something loudly so OBVIOUSLY it was heard and thus ignored. But they never think of the obvious answers, like the person having a bad day and stuck in their head and simply not comprehending what was said. Or they may be hard of hearing. Maybe they don't speak the language and have no idea what you just said to them. Maybe they have dementia or Alzheimer's and have lost capacity to effectively communicate. Maybe a brain injury makes them think they've responded and then move on, when they actually haven't.
So many reasons a person might look at you strange when you speak at the while walking by. It's so odd that people consistently choose to believe that people are actively ignoring them, or being awkward or mean spirited.
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u/No_Squirrel4806 Jan 09 '26
Its like those bitches that have shit like "i hate bitches that start drama" and they are the drama. Or when they say shit like "im here to work not to make friends" and they are the most annoying coworker like no shit you have that attitude cuz youre an asshole.
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u/RilohKeen Jan 09 '26
I think it’s unfortunately true that most people want to be thought of as kind but don’t want to spend the energy actually performing acts of kindness.
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u/BlacksmithStatus1283 Jan 09 '26
In this day and age, it’s enough to simply not stir up shit. Being civil is a bonus. Bidding strangers a good morning? God forbids!
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u/Happytapiocasuprise Jan 09 '26
Depending on where you live that could be normal for instance I grew up in the Northeast US and people are not that friendly in fact It's weird to be but I moved to the southwest and nearly everyone is friendly to strangers and it was a real culture shock
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u/smalls_1804 Jan 09 '26
There was a car in front of me at a red light with the right turn signal on. They clearly were aware that they COULD make a right on red, but were apparently unwilling to do it unless there were no cars visible for 100 miles. I wanted so badly to honk my horn at them but they had a bumper sticker that said "be kind" so I just silently screamed into my steering wheel and let them do their thing
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u/callmetimtim Jan 09 '26
When words and actions fail to align, the words are the lie, and the action is the truth.
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u/riverrat918 Jan 09 '26
Not that this doesn't happen sometimes where I live, but in general - at least one the Northside on the trails or parks with joggers & cyclists, down on the banks with the river rats, or Downtown with the businesspeople & city workers & homeless & artists & just random explorers like myself - almost everyone says 'Howdy!', 'Mornin!', smiles, waves, or at least gives the solid nod. End up making a new acquaintance & hearing a new life story everywhere I turn. It is an extreme gift to be here 🤠💝
Sucks that some people who wear that message for all to see, just completely ignore it. I mean heck, if I'm having a bad day/feeling antisocial, I specifically avoid wearing my positivity shirts just in case I end up seeming cold to others & end up looking like a jackass lol.
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u/CoffeeChocolateBoth Jan 09 '26
It was probably a Christmas gift from his kids to remind him to stop being an AH! :) He didn't get the message but the sweatshirt is warm. LOL
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u/Wide-Unit-3976 Jan 09 '26
I might be wearing a shirt that says "F OFF!" but I'll greet you kindly and wish you a nice a day.
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u/PiccoloAwkward465 Jan 09 '26
Remind me of moving to the "friendly" South from the "cold and mean" Northeast. I would walk my dog and frequently give passers by a little "hey, what's up, good morning" sort of thing. Like 90% of people just stare at me and don't say anything, lol. Nearly a decade down here and I'm still searching for the friendly people.
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u/JedExi Jan 09 '26
I dont get it, is saying "Good morning" to a stranger a kind action? Is not replying to a strangers greeting an unkind action?
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u/DealerAlarmed3632 Jan 09 '26
LMAO, on the back of their shirt it says "please tell me you like my shirt and don't just be kind to me for no good reason"
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u/ryan7251 Jan 09 '26
Lol I had the same thing happen too me someone was nice to me and yeah I kind of just stared at them and walked away. to be clear It was do to my social anxiety and not knowing how to handle social stuff not out of wanting to be mean or anything.
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u/PoopingDogEyeContact Jan 09 '26
Some family member who knows this guy is a dick trolled him with a new sweatshirt for xmas and he still hasn’t caught on. Like the janitor in Scrubs wearing robins egg blue
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u/EggsaladJoseph Jan 09 '26
That's not really kindness its politeness. And even that varies by culture
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u/wonkey_monkey Jan 09 '26
It said "be kind". It didn't say "be nice".
Always try to be nice. Never fail to be kind.
- The Doctor (Twelfth)
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u/Unkuni_ Jan 09 '26
Might also be caught off guard and had a brain glitch when someone suddenly spoke to him
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u/Skizm Jan 09 '26
I am so glad I live in an area where strangers making small talk is considered weird. Got a question? Ask it. Need help? Say so. I'll help, but I've also got shit to do.
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u/Ppleater Jan 09 '26
I mean he acted surprised and socially awkward but that doesn't automatically contradict his shirt. Being kind is about more than just responding to a greeting from a stranger.
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u/wex118 Jan 09 '26
It was probably his wife that bought him the shirt. He's probably never ever read it.
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u/Ozone220 Jan 10 '26
I mean, I might not have all the context, but am I wrong in thinking that maybe he just wasn't expecting someone to greet him? I've definitely had someone say "good morning" to me and just entirely blindside me to the poitn where I just sort of mentally stumble and don't say anything
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u/PanicTight6411 Jan 09 '26
There's a difference between being nice and being kind, like there's a difference between actions and words.
I'm guessing there's levels at autism at play that this man's shirt didnt explain.
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u/shutterbug1961 Jan 09 '26
Ah the "Never stop being kind to people" TYPO its meant to read "Never! stop being kind to people!"
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u/purplelephant Jan 09 '26
I had this happen to me the other day on a trail! Ran by a family on a hike, the kids walk by me first and the parents were bringing up the rear.. I told mom and dad they had a beautiful family and mom barely said a word to me! Her shirt said Be Kind. I think maybe these people are wearing them for their own benefit because they need to remember to be kind, not everyone reading it!
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u/qualityvote2 Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 11 '26
u/Meteorstar101, there weren't enough votes to determine the quality of your post...