There’s no doubt that being nice is a good thing. But being ‘too’ nice can actually be detrimental to your relationships. Here’s how to tell if you’ve crossed the line into too-nice territory – and what to do about it.
Being nice is a positive trait to have. As humans, we truly appreciate and value supportive and compassionate friends and family. But when the balance is off, it can be detrimental to yourself, and even to those you think you are doing the right thing by.
Too much of a good thing?
Being too much of anything means that other aspects are not in balance. For real, flesh and blood relationships, we need to master a range of skills. If we don’t, it can start to affect you and the relationships you have with others.
Many people might think that being nice is a lovely way to be, that it would make you very well-liked and easy to get along with, and that is probably true. However, being too nice can also mean that you become a door mat or a people-pleaser. It can mean that you put other’s needs ahead of your own.
That can mean others get away with things that they shouldn’t. An excessively nice person might never be really known on a deep level or taken seriously. Their preferences might be over-ridden, and they could be neglected.
It can even impact your job. Being too accommodating can make you a bit invisible, because you never stand for anything. You might be overlooked when it comes to leadership or other opportunities in the workplace.
Signs you’re being too nice to people
So, how do you tell if you’ve crossed the line from nice, into too-nice territory? There are five key things to look out for.
1. Being agreeable even when you hold different views
Being a yes man or woman by deliberately holding back dissenting opinions, even when you know they might be important, can be a definite sign you are too nice.
This agreeableness can also infiltrate other areas. You will often fit in with others’ suggestions, needs, plans, without asserting your own.
2. Avoiding any conflict in case it upsets others
Avoiding confrontation or conflict is also a red flag. Often those who do this will allow bad things to be said or happen to them, because this is preferential to the conflict that speaking up would cause.
3. Ruminating about others
Another a sign of being too nice can be if you regularly find yourself ruminating on what others said or appeared to get away with after the fact.
This can also leave a person feeling resentful or depressed about how things turn out. From evenings with friends to travel plans or work arrangements.
4. Prioritising others before yourself
Being too nice can also look like not competing for a job or relationship or something else valuable to you because you’re stressed by any potential fallout.
5. Being afraid to fulfil your responsibilities
You might be aware that you are not fulfilling aspects of your roles and requirements by being afraid to fall out with others. For example, if you find it too difficult to manage your staff or your boss, or your relationship with your neighbours.
How to turn things around
If you recognised some – or all – of the above behaviours and habits in yourself, don’t apologise (we know you were thinking about it).
You can learn to assert yourself with these three actionable pointers.
1. Reset your concept of relationships
Reset your concept of a good relationship and the best way to participate in relationships. To get what you need and want, to be taken seriously, and to not be taken advantage of, requires you to be a 3D person. This means allowing yourself to express your own opinions and needs, even if they are different to someone else’s.
2. Consider why you value being nice
Consider what you value about being nice and work out how you can maintain it while you learn to assert yourself and be more vocal about your needs. Nice people can still speak up and be assertive, without compromising themselves. For example, you can give good explanations for why you are pushing back on something, or make sure your tone of voice is still approachable.
3. Dare to disrupt
Sometimes being disruptive is really important in our relationships. People we are in relationships with will grow if we offer alternative ways for them to think about and experience the world.
Always going along with things only gives others a fuller experience of how they currently view themselves. Offering alternatives might even surprise and delight them – and that can make you much more attractive to be around.
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