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Kindness vs Tact - What's the difference?

kindness | tact |

As nouns the difference between kindness and tact

is that kindness is the state of being kind while tact is the sense of touch; feeling.

As a verb tact is

(psychology) to use a tact (a kind of verbal operant; see noun sense).

kindness

English

Noun

  • The state of being kind.
  • An instance of kind or charitable behaviour.
  • tact

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The sense of touch; feeling.
  • *
  • Did you suppose that I could not make myself sensible to tact as well as sight?
  • * J. Le Conte
  • Now, sight is a very refined tact .
  • (music) The stroke in beating time.
  • Sensitive mental touch; peculiar skill or faculty; nice perception or discernment; ready power of appreciating and doing what is required by circumstances.
  • *
  • He had formed plans not inferior in grandeur and boldness to those of Richelieu, and had carried them into effect with a tact and wariness worthy of Mazarin.
  • *
  • A tact' which surpassed the '''tact''' of her sex as much as the '''tact''' of her sex surpassed the ' tact of ours.
  • The ability to deal with embarrassing situations carefully and without doing or saying anything that will annoy or upset other people; careful consideration in dealing with others to avoid giving offense; the ability to say the right thing.
  • By the use of tact , she was able to calm her jealous husband.
    I used tact when I told my fat uncle that his extra weight made him look better.
  • (psychology) A verbal operant which is controlled by a nonverbal stimulus (such as an object, event, or property of an object) and is maintained by nonspecific social reinforcement (praise).
  • * 2013 , Jacob L. Gewirtz, William M. Kurtines, Jacob L. Lamb, Intersections With Attachment
  • Skinner (1957) saw such tacts as responses that are reinforced socially.

    Derived terms

    * tactful * tactless

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (psychology) To use a tact (a kind of verbal operant; see noun sense).