Where have all the nice guys gone?

Nowadays, they say being nice is overrated. They say chivalry is dead. They say that being nice is so tiring when the world is cruel and evil. I beg to differ.

First, let me define a nice person. It is someone who does things selflessly, without asking for anything in return. This is someone who likes doing things for people without forgetting themselves. These people are usually taken for granted, mostly bullied and are tossed aside. Believe me, I know. And these very people who shun and hate nice people are the one who actually have the balls to ask why there aren’t more nice people.

In this generation, where people are encouraged to be themselves and all that, less and less want to be nice. They want to stand up for themselves, to be strong and different. Now this isn’t wrong. What’s wrong is that some people overdo it and become mean. Plus another factor in some people being mean is the messed up dating system. Girls go for douche bags, while men go for the girl version of douche bags. But after a while they get tired, and try to find nice people. In the end though the nice people are pushed to become douche bags, resulting in a huge scarcity with people who are just nice. People do things for their own personal gain, and everything they do must be returned in some form. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the reason this world has become cruel and selfish. They say being nice is too easy and that there isn’t a challenge in it.

Now here is my opinion: being nice is the hardest thing to do. You have to be nice to people you hate. You have to hold back your tongue when someone says something cruel at you. You want to do things without nothing in return, just because you want to. You have to be patient, and not to mention be always be a shoulder to lean on. And with Freud saying that we are naturally aggressive, this is opposite of who we are.

But I tell you what. Being nice to people is actually heartwarming. When you secretly do something for someone, and you watch them from a distance be happy, it’s feels more awesome than winning money. When you know you changed some one’s day, when you know that you affected their life in a good way, it’s priceless. Just a small smile, or a simple “hi” can change some one’s outlook.

In this cruel world as some may say, being nice can go a long way. A small comment about how they look, as long as you’re sincere can drastically change the way they look at themselves. And to some extent, you can help people live on with their life. For example, let’s say a frustrated writer like myself who is trying to reach out to people decides to give up writing. But one simple comment, as long as you’re really true about it, can help. Every little thing you do, as long as it comes from your heart, can mean a whole lot to someone.

And so the next time you decide to do something and you feel under appreciated, let it be. Even if no one saw it, He saw it. Besides, the feeling you get when you know you helped someone is worth more than the world’s attention.