To be or not to be…nice?!?!

To be or not to be…nice? That is the question.

Ever since we were little, we were always told to be nice. Why? We would ask. Unfortunately, we were often given vague answers. So that people would like us, they would say. So that we would have many friends. So that someday, we would go to heaven.

If these were the case, how come there were still those people who hated us no matter how nice we tried to be? How come the not-so-nice ones also have friends without trying so hard to be nice? And how come there were stories of those people who weren't so nice in the beginning, but eventually felt sorry for their sins a minute before they died, also went to heaven?

We have always been bombarded with "reasons" to be nice. But as we confront reality, we can't really help but realize that there are really more reasons not to be nice. Here are some:

1. We tend to become vulnerable by being nice. Those who are nice are perceived to be "easy targets." Hence, they are teased and often bullied. Some even become "slaves" without being paid! And since they're just oh so nice, they never complain.

2. It's very stressful to be nice. Since it's not at all nice to say "no," nice people always say "yes" to anything…and everything! Although they didn't want to do or have no time to do a certain task, they are left with no choice but to say "yes." Why? Simply because the word "no" is not in their vocabulary. Hence, they end up being more stressed and worn-out than the not-so-nice ones.

3. Most nice people are more likely to be used and abused. In a selfish world such as ours, those who don't fight back have no chance to survive at all. They are eaten wholly---mind, body, and soul. And before they realize this, they have already sunk deep below the pit and have no way of getting out.

4. The nice ones are always taken for granted. They give favors endlessly, but never get any in return. The not-so-nice ones always tend to forget the "supposed" gratitude they have towards the nice ones. The nice ones can't do much about this. Thus, they give and give…and take nothing in return.

5. Nice people are often described as goody-goody, nerds, geeks, and the like. Whereas the not-so-very-nice are described as popular, of the in-crowd, heartthrobs, etc. Moreover, the lives of the not-so-nice ones would always be so much better as compared with the lives of the nice ones.

6. People who are nice always end up crying. It may be due to pain or they might have simply realized how pathetic and meaningless their lives have been…all because they chose to be nice!

7. Nice people always die earlier. It could be due to stress or fatigue. Or maybe, it's simply because the "masasamang damo" get to enjoy a longer lifespan.

It has always been easier to be the bitch than the one bitched about…the bully rather than the one bullied…the villain than the hero…the crook than the victim. These are just a few out of the million reasons on how the world tells us not to be so nice. So when someone asks you to be nice for whatever reason, stand up and stand tall, and proudly tell them why you shouldn't!