"BAD FOR GOOD" in "WRITER@WORK: Stories From A Lone, Urban Girl"

“You’re way too nice. That’s your problem. No wonder people make a fool out of you.”

“Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.”

These days, many might agree to both statements above. As cruel as they sound, they still speak of the truth. They represent reality as it is.

Then what’s wrong with being good or kind, for that matter? Is it considered an unforgivable weakness now? Is it because there are more monsters out there in the society, especially those in the higher-ups? To many people, the struggle is real. If being kind and honest is considered stupid, then where are we heading?

None of us are saints here. We’re all sinners in a variety of misdeeds, big and small, more and less. The sooner we realise and accept that fact, the better we avoid being so smug, so holier-than-thou about ourselves.

The sooner we do that, the more careful we are when we treat someone, anyone we might consider ‘good’, ‘kind’, ‘naive’…or ‘gullible’.

Too Bad

Not everyone who’s bad really enjoys being that way. They’ve gone bad before they’ve been hurt too much. Their sincerity has been spit back at their faces. Their kindness has been laughed at, especially by those who don’t – or perhaps have never – appreciated them. They’re considered stupid…and weak.

That’s how they’ve grown sick to death of being good – and still taken for granted anyway. Perhaps some of them can still stay consistent despite what keeps on happening. You can give their strong will and great conscience a shared credit for that.

Others decide to give up. What’s the point of being good when people still treat them badly anyway?

The In-Between: Good or Bad, It Depends

Meanwhile, some others choose to be flexible. Like some people believe that one must be cruel in order to be kind sometimes. This is where kindness no longer comes free. It depends on how people treat you and how you can benefit from it.

Kind of sad, huh? This is how a heart breaks. This is just how it sounds. Loud or quiet, both are still equally painful.

Those who often say that being too nice gets one played around all the time will regret it, sooner or later. They always do. They’ll regret it big time when you finally decide to be bad for good, in order not to be taken for granted or played around anymore…

R.