Most people have a positive self-image, but that doesn’t mean that they are nice. Often, they can be mean to others for no good reason whatsoever. In these cases, more often than not, the problem is with them and not the other people. In other words, they are unhappy.
Still, we should try to be as nice as possible towards other people because:
- Often our “nice” isn’t nice enough – Just because you believe that you are a nice person doesn’t mean that others think so too. You can still do harm without realizing it. Oppositely, if you know you are mean on purpose, then let me ask you what you are doing? In this case, you should read the next point.
- Mean people are only really hurting themselves – Recently, I read a quote that I liked:
“Resentment, jealousy, and hurt are like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”
This rings true in positive psychology, as negative thinking is more hurtful towards ourselves than others, as you are the one who suffers the most because of your negativity, not others.
- Negativity leads to more negativity – If you are mean towards others, they can become negative towards the next person, and so on and so forth. By being “nice” you break this chain of negativity.
- One person can make a difference – Being nice means that you are no longer part of the negative chain. Oppositely, you are creating positivity, as nice people attract more positive thinking, situations, and people. In other words, be nice and others will be nice towards you, and the other way around.
- There should be no exceptions – Often, people have too many exceptions, meaning they never actually do what they mean to do. As such, even when you don’t want to be nice, you should make a Herculean effort to do so, as skipping on niceness now means that you are that much more likely to do it again later.
- Being “nice” is a muscle – Your niceness is like a muscle, which is also true toward your meanness. As such, the nicer you are nice, the easier it will become to be nice next time around, which is also true for being mean.
- Stop being part of the problem and become part of the solution – Too many people expect others to go first before they change anything. Then they are living a miserable life, never taking enough action towards being happy. As such, be nice today, make that extra effort and you will be on the way toward a happier life.
Stay nice and don’t be an a-hole!
