Being nice, I am often inclined in a philosophical reflection to encourage nice behavior, nice thought, and various other nice actions and effects. Naturally. One has but a projection of one's own will to work with, as one is all one ever was - at least in rational thought as far as I know. But of course this projection can be modified and influenced by the other.
What I'm trying to say in so many words is that to my disappointment, sometimes being too nice is to be mean in a way, as being nice can encourage dickheads to become bigger dickheads, until the problem becomes so blown up that it could require another dickhead - or perhaps just someone with a violent nature, or an assertive will - to cut down the out of control dickhead.
Or take dealing with various types of animals in a house or even farm. It would be really lovely if we could support all animals and help all of them live pleasant lives forever. But the reality of things is that human beings are a certain type of entity, which is sympathetic to other certain entities, and antagonistic to others.
So mice are very cute, and one sees them and thinks, "oh wouldn't it be nice to feed the little fella?" But then once they make themselves at home and start eating the food and chewing on the wires, and possibly introduce disease with their fleas and feces, then it may come time to remove them in a not-nice way.
So sealing up all of the food, and plugging up all of the holes - they call this exclusion - and possibly putting down peppermint oil and whatnot, so as to make the living space as uninviting as possible for the little things may feel sort of mean, but it is much better for the mice in the long run, as to encourage them and then suddenly turn on them when it gets to be too much is much more mean, and unfair.
This is a little dispiriting, yes. I've had to temper my own pacifism. But it is still possible to maintain a more nuanced pacifist position, which is simply to take into account other modalities of thought and action, so as to encourage and maintain that greater impulse.
