We are a complicated species. Human beings have the extraordinary ability of critical thinking and making decisions based on their thoughts or emotions.
And because everyone's predilections vary from person to person, every individual behaves accordingly.
But there are fundamental sides to people that distinguish them from one type of person to another. In the most basic terms, there are good and bad people.
Curious to know about what makes a human being kinder than others, Redditor hotpocketsandranch asked:
"Why do you choose to be a nice person?"
Redditors shared the various benefits that come from kindness.
It's Contagious
"It’s fulfilling, even though it can be emotionally costly at times. Also, your niceness can inspire niceness in others so that’s always a driving force."
– doctorbrunner
Better Than The Alternative
"Being nice may be emotionally costly but the affect that being mean has overall is soo much worse. It's drags you down initially, and the person you're not nice to. Which can cause lasting problems because no one wants to deal with or be nice to a mean/negative person. And that's all aside from the long term negative effects on your health and mental health that being constantly in that circle or not niceness will get you. It's honestly cheaper and better for everyone to be nice. Even if it is a little harder...some people require extra niceness."
– mynameisred89
"Selfish Interest"
"Life is tragic enough, we all die in the end, let's not make it any worse."
"To add as well, isn't there actually a selfish interest to be good to people? I mean everyone you interact with is someone that lives in the bubble of your life. If you were trying to be empathic, being good to them, giving them honest advice that you believe will genuinely make their life better and more prosperous, wouldn't your life be better as well? Wouldn't the likelihood that their prosperity eventually gets shared back with you increase?"
"Who wants to live in a community where people around them are constantly troubled and depressed? So what you want to make it worse for them by being an asshole and add to that suffering? How does that help you exactly other than blowing off some momentary steam and making one more person who thinks less of you? Shame."
– FloatingArk54
You don't know what a person is going through. Why go out of your way to be mean?
Having Compassion
"You never know how their life has been, or is. You never know how someone is feeling, or when one snarky sentence could send them over the edge. I never want to be the cause of someone’s despair."
– ChunguSprite
A Stressful Place
"This week has been really hard on me stress wise due to my mom having a surgery and I’ve been in an awful place emotionally. People being unnecessarily rude or cruel to me for no reason or very little provocation has led to me crying and shaking and in tears all night. On the other hand, people being nice to me and doing me even tiny favors or the smallest word of encouragement has meant the world and lifted my spirits higher than I think they even imagined."
"You don’t know what’s going on with people. So be kind. Please."
– goddessofwaterpolo
Leading To Acceptance
"This is definitely one thing that ended up saving me. I was quite a angry kid and I’m thankful for the one kid who ended up reaching out and turned my life around. I could have stayed angry, alone and asocial but they took me into their friend group."
– foreveralonesolo
We all have a choice. And these Redditors choose to not to be the cause of spreading negativity.
It's Just Easier
"Because the world is an awful place and it take me zero effort to not make it worse."
– riphitter
When The World Is Cold
"Why would I choose to be nasty? Life's hard enough, let's not add to it by being an a**hole to people."
– thetartancat
Positive Living
"I’m an optimistic person and think being nice is a better way of life."
– DognamedTurtle
Not Feeling Good
"Being bad feels bad."
– GozerDaGozerian
It's Not Conditional
"It makes me feel good, even though I know most people won’t return the favor."
– F'kyouimnotafurry
Random Acts Of Kindness
"For me, I feel really good myself when I do something nice like hold them door open for the elderly or say hi to a random person in passing, etc."
"Oddly put, I’m nice to other people for myself, not for them?"
– hotpocketsandranch
Overall, many Redditors felt that choosing to be kinder felt better than the alternative.
Let's face it, being nice in general goes a long way, and the world could use that kind of positive energy more than ever.
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