Nice vs. Good, honesty, and Snape:

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 152936

Nora:
> It's not only that he's wrong--it's that in both the Shack and later, 
> he refuses to, even when he clearly has the upper hand on the 
> situation, even listen.  Now, listies have come up with all sorts of 
> baroque explanations for why this is smart of him, but at least in 
> this situation, I'm not buying it.

Pippin:
As Snape was overpowered in the Shrieking Shack, he clearly didn't
have the upper hand. A bit surprising, considering the way he dealt
with Harry so handily in HBP, but then he had a problem with Fluffy,
too. Couldn't keep an eye on all three heads at once, you see. Snape
knew he was at a disadvantage, and his mind ran through the very old
script we saw in the pensieve, IMO.

I wonder whether nice vs good is the right way to frame the question.
What about  compassion vs morality?
 
Framed that way we can see both as essential components of goodness.
Dumbledore would be Rowling's epitome of goodness because he 
exemplifies both. 

Snape seems almost incapable of compassion, which makes him
such a pain to be around, while Lupin is an extremely compassionate
man. But his compassion has limits -- you have to identify with someone
before you can feel compassion, and Lupin only identifies with people
who like him. He doesn't give a brass galleon about anyone else. 

Lupin is certainly better company.  The moralists in canon -- 
young!Hermione, Percy, Snape and (ugh!) Umbridge 
(she's not a very *good* moralist, but a moralist
she is) -- they're always sure they're doing the right
thing. It seldom occurs to them that they might be wrong. Human 
judgement being what it is though, even the innately good
Hermione doesn't have any friends until she loosens up a little.

Lupin is often filled with guilt -- but the trouble with 
with guilt is it mostly kicks in *after* you've done something wrong.
If Lupin were moral, he would anticipate his guilty feelings and
stop himself *before* he had something to feel guilty about it. But he 
never does, does he?  


Nora:
 Interesting that  Dumbledore *lets* Snape hang himself, isn't it?

Pippin:
It's in Dumbledore's interest to portray himself as someone who sees
only the good in people. If he is supposed to be overlooking Snape's
viscious streak, then he has to let Snape demonstrate it, doesn't he?
Not compassionate in a narrow sense,  perhaps, but moral, if moral 
means behaving as you would if your compassion encompassed 
every sentient creature.

Pippin