Why you can not be nice.

 When I think of a nice person, certain qualities come to mind. I see them smiling down the hallway, or maybe going out of their way to help someone with homework or holding the door for someone. People who are no afraid to have a polite conversation with someone they just met, and are the ones always giving compliments. I feel as if this species of high schoolers are on the verge of extinction. In high school, individuals are criticized for being nice, or even civil to others. Girls in particular. Words such as "flirt" and "tease" are thrown around with no other goal other than to take someone down. Because of this, the nice people are forced to adapt to their new surroundings and become curt, and almost rude to others. 

Talking to someone has taken on a whole new meaning. Originally, talking was simply an action word, used to describe an interaction between two persons having a civil conversation. Now, as described on Urban Dictionary, is the stage between friends and having a relationship with someone. Now much like other homonyms such as address, nail, cool, and jam, the word "talking" requires context to determine its meaning. However, the context for both uses of the word is often the same, and is often defaulted to the newer meaning in high school. This is what creates the problem I stated earlier of the dying out of nice people.

Social media is also assisting to their extinction. "Hitting someone with that no reply" is rude, but replying to someone and, heaven forbid, having a conversation with them, is perceived as a sign of interest. Most people are just being nice. Why can we as high schoolers not allow ourselves to believe that is the case? Are we already convinced their breed has gone extinct?   If our overall goal in this world is to be good people, people who are nice to one another, why do we force others who have achieved that to convert? 

I blame hormones. Our teenage bodies are filled to the brim with hormones that make our brains desire for affection. We jump as the slightest signs of affection or interest. Personally, I think we all need to take a deep breath and relax. Just because and individual is interested in another individual, does not make the feeling mutual. This is something that needs to be realized by both the ones involved, and also the other hundred watching with their popcorn because they are more concerned with their peers' lives than they are with themselves. 

You can be nice in high school, I encourage you to be, but good luck. By doing so, and being able to not mind others' comments is something I wish to be able to do one day. For now, however, I am going to continue and tell others to not care what people say, but myself care about every word. Hypocritical, yes, but I never claimed I was mature yet.