Leah Kelley

This Is What It Actually Means To Be A ‘Nice Guy’

A genuinely nice guy is someone who doesn’t have an ulterior motive. His kindness doesn’t come from a place of self-serving intention. He isn’t calculating, he’s just kind. A genuinely nice guy isn’t trying to build up to something that will only benefit himself. He doesn’t throw his basic human decency, kindness, or friendship in your face like you owe him something more intimate in return for it. A genuinely nice guy actually respects you as a person, and not just as a potential love interest. He is someone who truly values you as a friend before anything else, regardless of whether you do or do not end up together as something more. 

A genuinely nice guy is straightforward with you in situations that may arise. If his kindness is ever-unintentionally misinterpreted as a romantic interest in you, he catches himself and corrects the situation. He blatantly states his intentions and where he stands with you. A genuinely nice guy doesn’t lead you on just to stroke his own ego. He doesn’t leave you to interpret his actions toward you as anything other than what he truly means for them to be. A genuinely nice guy values direct communication over playing mind games out of immaturity and boredom. A genuinely nice guy takes responsibility for his own feelings. He keeps his composure, even when misunderstood. He acknowledges his emotions but does not try to make you responsible for them. 

A genuinely nice guy is someone who women and children just naturally feel safe around by default. He gives off big brother energy, not creepy neighbor energy. His elders respect and speak highly of him, and those younger than him admire and look up to him. His reputation precedes him in the best possible way. He never has to go out of his way to introduce or label himself as a “nice guy” because his actions already do that for him. You will feel it in his presence and see it in the smiles on the faces of other people every time that he enters the room. You will never have to question anything about the kind of person he is. You will just know.