Be kind — everyone is in a battle…you don’t know what they’re going through right now. Don’t assume anything. The only thing you can control is your actions. So be kind to them. Hopefully they return the favor. If not, it’s on them, not you.
Tag: nice
Be likeable
Have you met someone who just makes you feel good when you’re around them?
Be that person to other people. How? Listen to them intently, encourage them (with verbal and nonverbal cues) to keep talking, be interested, know when to add to the conversation/when to interrupt and when not to, smile, don’t be too eager/annoying, if they’re busy with something then leave them be. Have interests. Have things to talk about, but don’t always make it about you. Ask questions. Be approachable. Include others in your conversation. Be nice – not only to that person, but to everyone around you. Be a person of integrity. Be an expert in your field. Know your worth.
The more likeable you are, the further you are likely to go. “You can go fast alone, but you can go far together.” The more people enjoy your company, the more they will try to help you achieve your goals. Let them help you and you will go far.
Good vs nice
There is a difference between nice people and good people. A person can appear nice or even charismatic, but actually be a “bad” person. That’s not always the case, in fact, if someone appears nice they usually are good as well. But you should not confuse the two. Let me explain…
Good is more important than nice. Being good involves making the best decisions with the information at hand, even when those decisions may not be the most popular. This means that being good may involve telling somebody something that they do not want to hear, but need to hear. Meanwhile, in order to be considered nice, sometimes you may hide the truth to avoid a difficult discussion, embellish facts to make someone feel good, or verbally agree to something someone else believes in, so that you don’t hurt their feelings or cause conflict.
Be nice and good whenever possible. But when push comes to shove, choose being good over being nice.
Respecting others isn’t about honoring your wishes, it’s about theirs
You can judge a man’s character by how he treats those who can do nothing for him. Treat everyone you meet with respect. Be kind and compassionate. But don’t confuse respect, kindness, and compassion by “helping them” with unwanted charity.
Some people don’t want your help, at least not in the way you intend to offer it. Don’t let your ego get in the way (“I helped X amount of people last year” or “I donated Y amount to charity.”) Don’t patronize those you are “helping.” If you openly show others pity or give them charity, it can be demeaning.
The “treat everyone you meet with respect” line in paragraph one includes respecting their wishes. Because at the end of the day, you get to go home. But if you’ve taken away their dignity or their pride by giving them charity they didn’t want, you’ve actually left them in a worse position than where they began.