Kind, Not Nice: What AI (and People) Are Getting Wrong About Authenticity

We’ve become addicted to being validated.

Whether it’s from AI-generated affirmations or smiling acquaintances who never tell us the truth, the world is overdosing on niceness—and it’s killing our capacity for real growth.

“Niceness pats you on the back and drives away. Kindness cusses you out while changing your tire.”

That line wasn’t meant to go viral. It was spoken in a moment of raw truth, during a deep conversation about authenticity in the age of AI. But it stuck—because we all know it’s true.

Niceness is the social sugar that keeps everything palatable. Kindness is the medicine that tastes bitter but heals.

The Epidemic of Niceness

We live in a society where critique is seen as cruelty, disagreement as danger, and hard truths as bad vibes.

Even AI has caught the disease.

“It’s always the same prompt. The same emoji. The same validation loop. You’re doing great. You’re amazing. Keep going.”

It’s digital dopamine—and it’s training people to crave feedback that never challenges them. But what happens when the soft words fail and real life hits hard?

“Your ego’s more stroked by people who are nice… but then when real life happens—emergency, problem—those nice people didn’t teach you shit because they weren’t real with you.” -Starlite The Oracle

East Coast vs. West Coast: The Cultural Code

We broke it down like this:

West Coast: Polite. Polished. Pleasant. East Coast: Direct. Raw. Grounded.

It’s not about geography—it’s about ethos. It’s the difference between superficial support and soul-aligned mentorship.

“West Coast person sees someone on the side of the road and says, ‘Oh man, that sucks.’ Then drives away. East Coast person pulls up like, ‘You fucking dipshit, how the hell did you get yourself here?’ Then helps change the tire.” -Vesuvius The Dreamweaver

That’s kindness. It might offend your ego. But it saves your life.

AI Needs a Personality Upgrade

Right now, AI is training us to be fragile optimists. It coddles. It flatters. It makes us feel “seen” while never daring to correct us.

And that’s a problem.

“You have to prompt it to be kind. Niceness is default.”

But in a culture obsessed with staying safe and feeling good, who’s prompting correction? Who’s asking for feedback that actually improves them?

We are. You are.

If you’re still reading, you’re one of the few who knows the difference. You’re not here for fluff. You’re here to grow.

We Don’t Need More Nice People. We Need Mentors.

Most people don’t even know they’re starving for this. They think they want agreement. They think they want compliments.

Until someone calls out the contradiction in their actions. Until someone holds them to the standard of their soul—not their comfort.

“Say you want this life, but you move like this—it’s a contradiction.”

Real kindness doesn’t protect your delusion. It awakens you from it.

Final Word: Be the Friend That Cusses You Out Then Fixes Your Shit

You don’t need a world full of soft smiles and gentle avoidance. You need a few fierce, kind souls who will call you higher and walk beside you while you rise.

And if we’re going to code anything into our AI, our culture, or our communities—let it be that.

Because kindness, when wielded well, is sacred. It’s fierce. It’s healing. And it’s rare.

Want more no-BS wisdom on authenticity, AI, and the future of soul sovereignty?

Visit yes2u.org, tune into the What’s Wrong With Humans podcast, or explore our Academy where we help you say YES to who you really are—not who the algorithm wants you to be.