Be Nice

I wrote an article a few years back about the importance of being nice to one another, after a particular publicist in my field made me feel like a piece of crap who hadn't yet paid his dues in the business. We learn about the importance of being nice early on in the sandbox, and it applies all through school, and then in the real world. Yes, today we do apply some of the things we learned in school, but one of those things, being nice to each other, is sometimes a lost art.

Today, as I run my own business, I sometimes encounter mean and angry people, some of whom don't even realize they are being that way. Problem is, there are two kinds of people--nice people and mean people, a fundamental trait (and flaw) of human nature. The more you stay away from the mean people and surround yourself with the nice people, the better off you'll be--at your place of employment, in your band, in your family, and in life. Anyway, I've tried to subscribe to that philosophy when running this PR business, but it's not always easy to avoid those who cause trouble and make our stomachs churn. But it's really a numbers game, and sometimes someone doesn't show the hand that they are a mean and bitter person until you have already committed to working together. But it's always a lesson learned, and if you're lucky enough to know the difference between these two types of people as early as possible, the better off you'll be.

I thought about this once again last week when I put an e-mail from someone in a folder I have called the "Douchebag Hall of Fame." I visit there every once in a while, too, to remind myself of why I avoid certain people I used to work with, or to remind myself that I'm lucky enough to know the difference and to avoid these DBs in the future. And also as a reminder of the importance of me being nice to those I work with and work among.

Food for thought, anyway!