"If kindness is very important, then you're doing a great job of it."
It isn't meant to be a meaningless compliment, but he thinks it sounds a little glib, the way he phrases it. Anyone can tell someone else that they're kind, and of course, he'd be incredibly rude not to say it. Ned has probably already noticed that Ginsberg doesn't care a whole lot for social convention, but he very much wants to make sure that his compliment and acknowledgement of Ned's kindness comes off as genuine, so after taking a few more bites of his omelette and a few more sips of his coffee, he tries again.
"People aren't usually as kind to me as you were. I mean, usually, if someone saw me get pie thrown in my face, they'd laugh at me. You actually talked to me. You took interest in me. That's more than I can say for 99.9% of people. So thanks."
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It isn't meant to be a meaningless compliment, but he thinks it sounds a little glib, the way he phrases it. Anyone can tell someone else that they're kind, and of course, he'd be incredibly rude not to say it. Ned has probably already noticed that Ginsberg doesn't care a whole lot for social convention, but he very much wants to make sure that his compliment and acknowledgement of Ned's kindness comes off as genuine, so after taking a few more bites of his omelette and a few more sips of his coffee, he tries again.
"People aren't usually as kind to me as you were. I mean, usually, if someone saw me get pie thrown in my face, they'd laugh at me. You actually talked to me. You took interest in me. That's more than I can say for 99.9% of people. So thanks."