What's the meaning behind the 'Just Be Kind' billboards in Cape Town?

The message 'Just Be Kind' has been appearing on billboards in Cape Town, with sightings on the N2, Racecourse Road, and at the airport. This simple message is being received positively, with many praising the idea.

While people speculate about where these billboards come from, most agree that the message is amazing.

The simplicity and clarity of the message has resonated with people, making it a powerful and effective way to promote kindness, serving as a striking reminder to be kind to each other - and ourselves.

But what exactly does being kind mean... it's not the same as being nice.

EB did some digging and found that being kind and nice have various meanings and yes, one might just be better than the other in thought and action.

According to The Huffington Post, the words “nice” and “kind” are often used interchangeably to describe a positive quality in a person.

However, some say one is a much better quality than the other...

Being ‘nice’ is about being polite, civilised, and demonstrating high levels of social skills and etiquette, while being 'kind’ is behaviour that’s thoughtful, caring and considerate, but also strong, confident and self-caring.

Being ‘kind’ seems to take being ‘nice’ a bit further in being gracious, generous, empathetic and hospitable.

It involves action and intentions beyond just politeness or niceness.

According to psychologists, both demonstrate good social skills and a gracious manner, but it's believed that being kind is a higher level of engagement, behavioural intentions, and commitment than being nice.

Being kind generally requires greater effort and time, while it's often described by some as being “proactive” and “care-oriented,” whereas niceness is more “reactive” and “I-oriented.”