<p>Oh, I think there’s some truth to that, but it’s a generalization, to be sure.</p>
<p>My son is nice to a fault. He hurts himself by being so selfless, too much a team player, in my opinion. Sometimes it drives me nuts because I know he’s missing out on lots of things, but I like the person he is. 
I do wonder how he’ll fare at college admissions, though. He’s not president of everything – of anything as of yet – but it doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be a valuable member of the community. To echo Momzie, not every can – should – be a chief.</p>
<p>There is a statement that my mom frequently uses to describe me. I’m not sure if I deserve it, but I think the statement fits here.</p>
<p>“You always look for the best in people.”</p>
<p>My issue is that I can’t pinpoint someone as being a horrible person because I know he/she is not. EVERYONE makes mistakes and is unfriendly at times (including myself). EVERYONE is also kind (to friends, family, etc.). I’ve seen people I don’t particularly like be extremely kind to others. One may have to wait in order to experience these moments, but they will come.</p>
<p>I don’t like characterizing people because I don’t want them to do it to me when I’m having a bad day.</p>
<p>Momzie,
Maybe some colleges deliberate or accidentally admit too many leaders, but that is also not universally true, at least here in the States. Harvard seems to value leadership in particular, as do the U.C.'s, but plenty of other highly selective U’s value a variety of personality types, as well as a range of learning styles & interests.</p>
<p>I too believe kindness, or niceness, is an independent (and learned) trait, not correlated in any way with being high achieving academically and socially.</p>
<p>The author took a huge detour starting in the third to last paragraph that seems logically disconnected from the paragraphs preceding.</p>