Commentary
It can be said that gaining wisdom is a process of gaining some dark insights into life.
One such insight is this: A lot of evil has been abetted by nice people.
By “nice,” I am referring to the way people comport themselves in the personal realm. We refer to people as being “nice” if they are friendly to strangers, more or less honest in their dealings with others, take care of their families, support friends, and are pleasant to be around. We all want nice neighbors.
To put it another way, “nice” generally refers to the micro, the personal, realm. It does not generally refer to the macro realm—that is, to the views and values people hold about moral and social questions….