On Being Nice
“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 7:12
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” – Luke 6:31
My boyfriend and I had a discussion yesterday. He sent me a text message yesterday and it says that he’ll be doing a social experiment. The social experiment will be to stop being nice to others. When I read his text message, I replied saying that if he stops being nice to others then others will also stop being nice to him. That reply of mine triggered the discussion. Apparently for him my reply sounds selfish. And of course, I didn’t agree with him.
Anyways, it made me write this entry. I just had to write what I am feeling and thinking about the subject. For me I don’t think its being selfish, I think its just human nature that you expect the right treatment from others. You have been nice to them, so it’s just right that you expect the same treatment from them. My boyfriend kept on insisting that it sounds selfish since it’s like being nice only to a person that you expect will be nice to you as well. Well clearly were not on the same page… I didn’t say that a person will only select the person that he / she will be nice to. Of course that person will and should be nice to everyone else, and that’s when that person will expect that everyone else will be nice to him / her. I honestly don’t think / believe that there is a single person who is nice to someone and who doesn’t expect to be treated the same way. Personally, I expect that I’d be treated nicely since I always try to be nice. That’s why I always end up getting hurt or disappointed when I don’t get the right treatment I was expecting from the people that I have been nice to.
So there, I really don’t think its being selfish. I’m just being true to myself
How about you, do you think it’s selfish to expect someone to be nice to you if you have been nice to that person?