From Chapter 8, "Kindness: The Art of Paying it Forward" in Ingredients of Outliers Lagniappe Unless you’ve spent part of your life in the Deep South, you may not be acquainted with the word lagniappe (lan-yap). It describes a long-standing French-Creole tradition in southern Louisiana and parts of neighboring states. It’s defined as a) a small gift given by a merchant to a customer with the customer’s purchase; b) an extra or unexpected gift or benefit. It’s often used to signify a small kindness or going the extra mile. In his book Life on the Mississippi, published in 1883, Mark … [Read more...]