Being Nice Is Overrated, but Kindness Is Essential

I follow good people on Twitter, and I’m quick to unfollow to keep it that way. When I open my Twitter feed, it’s usually a pleasant experience, because I’m careful about who I follow.

I made the mistake the other day, though, of reading responses to a couple of good tweets. I was disappointed by what I read: accusations, assumptions about motive, and the least charitable reading of the original tweet possible. All of these were written by people who, from the context of their comments, c...