I don't know that I think people are becoming nicer. It seems to me that there's more and more intolerance of other people's differences, less importance put on treating others as you would have them treat you. I think the Golden Rule should be dusted off and taught to everyone at a young age once again.

Having said that, I do think that the majority of people I meet each day are nice - that the number of genuinely nice people outnumber the others. It's situational though. Someone I think is friendly and outgoing might turn into Psycho Dad while watching his six year old son play football or might be one of the ones putting lives at risk with his impatient driving habits.

I think people typically are nice to me because I'm nice to them. My oldest son tells me I'm too friendly, that I talk to "complete strangers." And I do! Like Terri, I often compliment others when I like what they're wearing, how they handled a situation with their kids, etc.- sincere comments, not just platitudes. I love to ask for a store manager, watch them walk up to me obviously expecting a complaint, and then see their delight when instead I compliment an employee on the service they've given me. I would take the time to complain if I was unhappy with an employee, so why not take the time to compliment excellence? We all walk away feeling good! It's little things that make all the difference.

Miss Pollyanna here thinks the world would be a better place if everyone going into a grocery store pushed a cart in as they went, there by leaving parking spaces free and reducing the dings and scratches cars get in the parking lot. It's a simple, helpful thing I do that costs me nothing.

I loved the movie "Pay It Forward", loved the basic idea of doing something nice for someone, then they do something nice for someone else, and that person helps a third, and so on. What a totally simple concept to change our world for the better!