The Australian Dictionary of Invisible Culture for Teachers
don’t be a dick
value: many people in Australia think it is good if people can think like this (see more)
It is good to want other people to feel something good. It is good to think about what other people want. It is good to do things if other people can feel something good because of it. It is good to not do things if other people can feel something bad because of it.
Because of this, it is bad to not do these things, like ‘a dick’ doesn’t do these things.
When people say these words, they want to say “I think you are doing something bad, like 'a dick' does something bad. I don't want you to do this.”
Note
'Don't be a dick' is also the common phrase used to expresse this value."Come on. Don't be a dick. It's not the cashier's fault that they don't have any chicken left."
"While empathy is not a skill shared by all, learning to be considerate is far more achievable. Put simply, to be considerate only requires one thing: don't be a dick. [...] You just have to think, 'is there a way of putting my point across that doesn't involve severely insulting or hurting another person?' If there isn't, then don't say anything at all."
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