Company Blog

Remembered for Niceness

by Adam Zack — February 8, 2023

“I’ve decided that you should not have to have done something epic to be remembered for centuries.”—Adam Zack

I was watching the film The Banshees of Inishirin on Sunday. It’s got considerable Oscar buzz about the acting and the film, and I really like the lead actors. So, when one friend (Colm) decides he wants nothing more to do with the other friend (Padraig), he can’t figure out why he’s been dumped as a friend, even though they live on this very small island off the coast of mainland Ireland. They can’t help but run into each other at the town’s only pub, as they have been going there every day for years at 2:00. Padraig argues “Why don’t you like me anymore? I’m nice!” Colm argues that no one in history is known for being nice. Everyone knows Mozart for music. Hitler will always be remembered as a mass murdering lunatic. Ben Franklin for discovering electricity. And so on. But once a person who is nice passes, all that remembers him are his family and friends, and when they are gone his niceness is forgotten forever. It struck me as very sad, as niceness is a quality that makes other people’s lives better. You sleep better when you’re nice. You are appreciated more and loved more and hated far less than mean spirited people. So, I’ve decided that you should not have to have done something epic to be remembered for centuries. Let’s start a national nice day, elect the nicest people, and record their niceness in history books. I’m nominating you.