DOES IT HURT TO BE NICE?

Last week, a teacher asked for someone to bring over a pair of speakers from the other room, since the ones in the room we were in were not working. Not wanting to get off their butts and walk, everyone yelled out my name, and I was the one who went. A few moments later, the teacher asked for someone to help her with the connections, and everyone yelled my name again. I did help, and got the speakers working successfully.

During a lesson earlier today, we were required to gather into groups to simulate a corporate meeting and discuss about some matters that need to be discussed. It was a practice for us to learn about writing minutes. We had to assign a "chairperson" for each group - and true to form, I was chosen immediately.

I accepted the role and started off the "meeting" where we discussed quite a bit, and we eventually got everything covered. I was asked to keep the notes for next week, and I obliged to do so.

From the aforementioned cases, you can probably tell that I am a nice person - someone who is willing to help out when someone is in need; someone who is willing to take up a role, even if it is a fake one; and someone who cares and looks out for the people around me.

But considering the people who surround me almost every single day in school, in an environment with people with different opinions and attitudes, a nice person can be seen in their eyes as someone who can do their work for them and not do anything themselves. When they do not want to do a certain piece of work, they would call out the "nice person" to do the work for them.

A nice person can also be seen in their eyes someone who can be bullied easily. In their eyes, niceness is translated to vulnerability, and they think they can take advantage of him/her, similar to a puppet and the person who controls that puppet.

This begs the question: does it hurt to be nice?

Yes, it is true to "love thy neighbor as thyself" (Leviticus 19:18), as it is the second greatest commandment amongst the Ten Commandments (Matthew 22:39), and to do so you have to show care and concern for others. For others to treat you the way you want to be treated, you have to treat them the same way first.

However, if you're too nice, it may be projected as a vulnerability and the people around you can easily take control and influence you and become "Santa's Little Helper" for them.

To conclude, I say "No, it does not hurt to be nice." Just be nice to others, and glorify God through your actions.

1 Peter 4:11 - "Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies - in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."