Okay, let’s dive right into how I figured out this whole “nice vs meaning” thing. You know how sometimes words feel fuzzy? That was me with these two.

The Confusion Started Here
I was scrolling through Instagram last Tuesday – just killing time – when I saw some influencer post: “Live a meaningful life, not just a nice one.” Boom. It sounded deep, but honestly? I couldn’t pin down the difference between “meaningful” and “nice” in my head. Felt like trying to separate smoke.
My Super Low-Tech Experiment
Grabbed a dusty notebook and drew a line down the middle. Left side: “Nice Stuff.” Right side: “Meaning Stuff.” Then I spent three days jotting down moments that felt like either.
- Nice: When the barista gave me a free cookie with coffee.
- Meaning: Helping my neighbor fix his bike tire while running late.
- Nice: Buying those stupid expensive headphones.
- Meaning: Calling my grandma every Sunday even when I don’t wanna.
Didn’t overthink it. Just dumped whatever popped into my noodle.
The Pattern That Slapped Me
Stared at the list on Thursday morning. Saw it:
Nice = Feels Good Now. That cookie? Pure joy for 5 minutes.

Meaning = Feels Heavy Later. Helping my neighbor? Annoying in the moment, but walking past his house days later? Still warm inside.
Nice was light, easy sugar. Meaning was dense, uncomfortable protein.
My Real Life Test Drive
Decided to run this through a Saturday. Brunch with friends? Felt nice – laughing over pancakes. But saying “No” to staying for extra mimosas so I could visit my sick aunt? Sucked hard. Felt awkward saying goodbye. But sitting with her? Felt like meaning. Didn’t make me giggle, just… anchored me.
Conclusion
Here’s the ugly, simple truth I’m carrying around now:

Nice is easy sugar rush. Meaning is slow-cooked stew. Nice asks nothing. Meaning asks sweat.
Now I catch myself asking: “Is this nice or meaning?” when picking crap. Most stuff’s just nice – and that’s okay. But chasing only nice left me hollow. Took scribbling in a notebook like a kid to see it.