Jeffrey A. Seddoh
5 min readSep 3, 2021

NEVER REGRET BEING A GOOD PERSON

No matter how hard we try, we can’t control everything. The world won’t always be kind to us. There will be people who will deliberately hurt us for no good reason. And that’s okay. We may not be able to control what they do and say, but we can control how we react. Life is too short to spend all our energy trying to change other people’s opinions of us. Let them think whatever they think of us and it’s only you who knows you aren’t what they are tagging/labelling/calling you.

Truth be told, it’s impossible to shield ourselves from bad people. They will always worm their ugly ways into our lives. Funny how bad people will seem, at first, as if they are good people with good intentions, until they hurt you. All the same, just because we meet a couple of bad people, doesn’t mean there is no longer any point in being a good person. Instead of pouring all our energies in building walls up, we can remind ourselves of being good, not matter what. Let’s be good and live a good life.

We shouldn’t let bad people or the world turn us bitter. We shouldn’t allow the harshness and selfishness of others corrupt us. There is still so much good in the world and let’s follow in that path. We can live our lives in service, making sure we contribute something positive in this life. Allowing a bad experience to get to us is not winning, it’s defeat. Let’s keep holding our heads up. No matter how hard it is, we should never let the sweetness of retaliation tempt us. We are strong and we will not let the world and bad people defeat us.

The world today follows the rule of tit for tat, and you need to understand that kindness says a lot about your own self. There’s no point in being good to people who aren’t bothered about you. On the other hand, that doesn’t stop you from being kind either. You should behave politely and be kind to everyone around you, but at the same time, you must know your limits too. Let’s be one of them. It’s what the world needs right now. Let’s not be good because we have an agenda. Being good to others and expecting something in return, defeats the purpose.

Consequently, we should not be the person who is rude to everyone around just because we had a bad experience earlier. We must be kind, and humble to people around us since our behaviours say a lot about us. Also, it reflects the way we have been raised. Hence, we should be humorous individuals with decency and politeness being reflected in the way we reach out to others. If we allow every bad experience to turn us cynical, what will be left of the world? We can always turn that bad experience into something good, by making sure it doesn’t continue anywhere else.

Never get tired or regret being a good person to the wrong people. You need to understand that kindness speaks a lot about a person. You need to understand that you should be good but not to everyone. You must have the wisdom to differentiate between the good people with decent thoughts, and the ones who are having a negative intention for you. We can constantly remind ourselves to look at the little things; the smiles people give us, that warm hug from a crush, the person who gave his seat for you to sit, a stranger who gave you the direction to a place, and that little boy who tugged you to tell you droped something. These small acts of good can make a difference.

How many times have you wondered if being a good person was really worth it? There is always something going against you. Recognition doesn’t always come with every good deed. And it’s not just about recognition. So often, you come to realize that your deeds weren’t even noticed. Many times, frustration and a feeling of powerlessness find a place in our bodies and souls when our kind gestures aren’t noticed by people. We feel like this especially when it comes to the people we love the most or when it keeps happening.

Nevertheless, if we enjoy taking care of others and making them feel good, we should not stop our instincts to love and be kind just because it goes unnoticed. Most of the time, we expect to receive what we give others. As if it were a mathematical equation. We feed the thought that we are always going to get what we deserve, when it’s not actually like that. We all wish this world were a fair ecosystem, with clear laws that would tell us what to expect. We may say our prayers, we may be strong, we may meditate and try to create protective bubbles around ourselves, but nothing can truly stop us from having an encounter with bad people.

We do usually think good people will be rewarded while the bad people will get punished. But in life there is no such law. Life is unpredictable with all of its coincidences and randomness. This mistaken belief creates a lot of unrealistic expectations. It’s like we are taking what will happen to us for granted. In such a confusing world, there are good people suffering and bad people succeeding, but it doesn’t mean we should tow that line. Bad people will inflict hurt on others, even us. If we pass on their bad deeds and make them our own, all we’ve done is amplify the effect of their bad actions.

Remember, there is still good in so many places in the form of many different people. Stand strong in the face of the bad people. You will shrink their influence, amplify your own, and help build a better world. Never regret being a good person because of bad people, for the sake of your own sanity and for a better, kinder and more compassionate society. Keep being good.