Quote of the day by Dave Barry: “A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.”

“A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.”

Explanation: This observation is often called the ‘waiter rule’ which implies that a person’s true character can be revealed in his behaviour towards those from whom he has nothing to gain from. 

The author is implying the dangers of performative kindness which can be deceitful. In other words, people can act nice towards people who are useful to them in some ways, for instance, if there are social or professional benefits which could be derived.

So, if the person is inherently good, there is a likelihood their behaviour and actions remain consistent with all kinds of people, those superior in position, peers or those of lower social ranking.

The author is implying that it’s important to differentiate between situational niceness or inherent niceness, the former being temporary and performative.

About the author: Dave Barry (1947) is an American humorist and author known for his column The Miami Herald which was sold to more than 500 newspapers.

His silly and self deprecating humour made him popular among the readers.

His column is known to inspire many television sitcoms like Dave's World.

Some of his famous works are: Stay Fit & Healthy Until You’re Dead (1985) and Lessons from Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog (2019).

He also received the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1988.