This Is Why Your Kindness Is Being Mistaken As Weakness
Do others see you as kind, or just harmless?
You’re reading this because you know what it’s like to be taken advantage of.
You know what it’s like to self-sacrifice to please others, only to have your kindness seen as an invitation for future exploitation.
You know what it’s like to see someone as your good friend or partner, only to realize that they hold all the power in the relationship.
It’s not your fault.
You were simply unable to manage your need to be liked, which is embedded as deeply in your software as your need for food and water. (In the days of woolly mammoths, tribe inclusion was key to survival.)
Another cause might be your personality.
Some of us (like me) rank high on Agreeableness, which means you hate and avoid conflict. It’s one of the big five personality traits, and women consistently score higher than men.
Whatever the reason, there was a day when you began prioritizing the needs and wants of others over your own, not by your own volition but because of your fear of loss and conflict. That was the day you became harmless.
