"Nice guy" is the kiss of death

Worst thing you can say about a man: He’s a nice guy.

He has a good heart.

These are the default compliments assigned to the weak, the intellectually incapable and the otherwise ineffective.

They are almost always preceded by the word but.

“Yes, it’s true. He never knows when to shut up, but he’s got a good heart.”

“He doesn’t handle pressure well, but he’s such a nice guy.”

I can’t remember the last time I heard either of these compliments used as anything but a counterbalance to criticism.

Maybe never.