this post was submitted on 12 Oct 2026
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  • tried to stay positive, then misfortune strikes
  • tried making friends, ended up ghosted
  • tried looking for better job, then scammed
  • tried save money, inflation happens
  • tried sell product online, fees and tax cut, also less buyers.
  • tried theraphy, the solution only dont think about it, its okay (if only it was that easy)
  • tried being nice, taken advantage of
  • tried being honest, get hatred
  • tried religion, yet god let million of nice person suffers
  • tried sleep, need regular medication
  • tried work hard, ended up surgery and years of rehabilitation

at this point, i am so tired with whatever i do, it always doesnt work.

right now i can relate why some people choose to become evil person, because being good and nice person in this world is just not as rewarding as bad people does. even those people who ghosted and bullied me ended up becoming rich and succesful, and here i am struggle everyday. life is really unfair world.

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[–] dil@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 days ago

Because other ppl compensate for you the other way around until they get sick of you

[–] punkwalrus@lemmy.world 80 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Most of these posts assume that the goal for being nice and good is FOR the rewards. Like, "I donate to my homeless shelter all the time, and do I get any thanks? The HELL with them!" That is where it usually fails. The real trick is being strong enough to stay nice DESPITE the lack or rewards, or even inconvenience. You are nice and good because it's a core of who you are, not just for flattery and incentives.

[–] MBech@feddit.dk 24 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm nice because it makes me feel good. That's the only reward I need.

[–] punkwalrus@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

Same. But another thing I add when I don't feel like being nice is "be nice out of spite." Spite is against a universe trying to make me mean and bitter. "Oh the Universe is cold and uncaring," yeah well, fuck the universe, then. I'm not doing for the universe, I am doing it for me.

[–] MaxLemminist@lemmy.ml 10 points 1 week ago

Right, you shouldn't expect to be rewarded for it.
I expected also more negative things or at least people taking it for granted but to my surprise I got very positive reactions from a few basic kind acts.
When I hear people told my GF I'm always there for them and one of the few people they can count on that means a lot.

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[–] crandall@lemmy.today 31 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Try to consider being kind as its own reward, rather than something you do to gain another result

[–] jet@hackertalks.com 4 points 1 week ago

I was going to say this same thing exactly.

The benefit of being nice is living in a nice place with nice people, not winning some zero sum game of immediate gratification

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[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 18 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (6 children)

You can be nice, but establish boundaries. You don't have to set yourself on fire to keep others warm.

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[–] TastyFugu@lemmy.ml 17 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Being a genuine good human doesn't make life easier, but it gives you peace of mind, because it's the right thing to do.

And if people feel, that you mean it genuinely, they are much more likely to help you back.

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[–] Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Honest answer you don't wanna hear?

If you're good to reap a benefit, you're not good. You just tried maximizing your own profit by this and failed.

Being "good and nice" is an ethical decision and will not inherently reward you. Being evil is easy, as it's our native state of existence. Egoisim, egocentrism, anthropocentrism. A cold heart can't take any harm.

Being evil makes life in an evil world (capitalism, humanity itself) much easier. Yes. But also you're part of the problem, not the solution. Even though noone gives a shit what you insect (no insult, just emphasizing our insignificance) do.

You will never be rewarded for doing the right or good thing. Or extremely rarely. Mostly you'll be ridiculed, scammed, made fun of, exploited and whatever else.

Personally, I don't give a fuck. I am what I am, if anyone wants to exploit me, it's their loss. Looking for equals is hard, but very rewarding.

Lemme quote a game (lol...):

"What is better? To be born good or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?"

[–] HaiZhung@feddit.org 10 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Being evil is not the natural state of existence.

If that were the case, humanity would have never come this far.

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[–] gray@lemmy.ml 13 points 1 week ago

Being nice isn't about getting stuff for yourself

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Why are you treating this like it's transactional?

Your character is a reflection on you and not a ticket to preferential treatment.

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[–] BassTurd@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago (7 children)

Pretty much all of the examples you provided happen to shitty people too, probably at a hiring rate in many cases. The benefit of being a good person on those situations is that at least you can take pride in not being a turd. Take your list, and reverse the logic for each input and see if that would make you feel better.

  • Maintained a crappy attitude, then misfortune strikes.
  • Spent all of my money, inflation happens.
  • Was a jerk, taken advantage of.
  • Was a liar, get hatred.

Just a handful of examples.

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[–] lunatic_lobster@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago

Most of the things you listed are not moral things.

  • staying positive
  • making friends
  • looking for a better job
  • saving money
  • selling online
  • therapy
  • religion
  • sleep

All of these have nothing to do with moral good or evil. An evil person can stay positive that their plan to steal credit from coworker will result in their promotion. An evil person can make friends and take more than they give from the relationship. An evil person can take a better job that exploits vulnerable populations. An evil person can hoard wealth... And on and on.

It seems like you are saying things aren't working out for you financially, socially, etc. And for a lot of that cognitive behavioral therapy can certainly help you reframe bad thinking and patterns to make things better. That doesn't mean all your problems are solved, but it can make things better.

Many of the things you listed are wise things to do rather than morally good. And even if they don't result in your idea of "success" they almost always result in something better than having not done them. For example saving money. Let's say you save 10,000 and inflation makes it only have the purchasing power of 8,000. You find yourself in a spot where you are unemployed and that 8,000 is going to be a saving grace. It will help your life way more than if you had blown it on 10,000 worth of vacations or consumer goods.

[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It’s less financially rewarding because most of the developed world exists in the context of late stage capitalism and / or oligopoly.

[–] shojivr@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 week ago

yes those big corpos can run away with anything even its bad stuff.

[–] DeathsEmbrace@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

Humans are socially engineered. Capitalism was created and designed to capitalize and corner. It rewards greed and selfish people often portraying the negative and evil characteristics. Our economy encourages evil people because they're successful in capitalism. You won't be a billionaire by caring about other people. All of them exploit a majority of the working class. The world right now is designed for bad people because economic success encourages negative characteristics. That's why white collar crimes are a dime a dozen. Basically when you start with a turd and then gold spray it you end with a shiny turd. That's why you always have feel good stories about some rich millionaire giving away or donating show up in news. Its news worthy to be rich, successful and a good person. Even though its basic human decency.

[–] 404found@lemmy.zip 8 points 1 week ago

This just sounds like life. You sound like you're in a depression slump because I start to view things the same way when I get in these slumps.

Being a helpful person is actually more rewarding to your well being than being a scammer. Read or listen to the YouTube audiobook, "The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama"

[–] LegitimateEngineer@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

For staying positive, staying positive won’t prevent disaster, but it can help you move past it. For saving money, ideally invest it, either get a high yield savings account at >3% interest which (roughly) beats inflation. Or try an index fund if you can save that money for long term.

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[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

This is life, there are no guarantees, and randomness can create massive problems.

If you always look for a specific outcome (for what you put in as you see as effort), then you will most likely always be dissapointed.

The world sucks, then you die, so you might as well make the best of it while here and help your fellow humans along the way.

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[–] horus_son_of_isis@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Moral and ethical behavior ultimately results in fewer problems and a better experience over all.

I've seen plenty of selfish people (whose actions often harmed others), and they ultimately destroyed their own lives through their folly.

I've known a lot of selfish wealthy people and most are pretty miserable - paranoid, lonely, etc. I also know a handful wealthy people who are kind, generous, and humble - they have amazing lives.

I know people who have led very simple lives, who worked hard, just did without when they couldn't afford something, and avoided the greed and materialism of mainstream consumerism - that takes self-discipline and a special kind of consciousness. Ultimately their legion of friends and neighbors helped them when they got knocked down.

What you are seeing when evil men prosper is not their own work or evil designs; it is the safety net that has been given to them to prevent accumulating the consequences of their actions. donny, Musk, and their peers all were raised in extremely privileged circumstances. They have been protected from the consequences of their evil deeds their entire lives - you don't have that. You won't get away with anything because you don't have a rich father to pay your bail, hire a top lawyer, or buy a Supreme Court Justice a million-dollar RV.

Material things do not guarantee happiness. Try reading some Epictetus, Seneca, or my favorite, Marcus Aurelius. This is a topic of frequent dialogue among the Stoics.

[–] lntl@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Practicing these things

  • Honesty
  • Responsibility
  • Kindness
  • Generosity
  • Compassion

have yielded me wealth beyond measure. Idk about "good and nice."

[–] Rumo161@feddit.org 4 points 1 week ago

Do no harm and take no shit.

[–] Broadfern@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

We live in a world ruled by billionaire pedophiles, so the system rewards behavior similar to that.

On the other side of that - do not worry about being a β€œnice” person when that means your own well-being is being taken away. Be kind to yourself first (how you can, I know it’s not easy), then try to be around people who have similar ideals.

Society at large can be soul crushing. Life is hard and not fair. I don’t have an answer for you beyond what I wrote but I hope you can find some rest and a small relief in your near future.

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[–] Cyanova@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 week ago (7 children)

Being nice is an act of rebellion in a cold, uncaring world. If it is your nature to try to do good, don't let other people not being there yet stop you being yourself.

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[–] folaht@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

life is really unfair world.

The capitalistic world is.

right now i can relate why some people choose to become evil person, because being good and nice person in this world is just not as rewarding as bad people does.

Most evil people are born bad.

tried to stay positive, then misfortune strikes

What happened? I hope you don't live in Palestine.

tried making friends, ended up ghosted

What happened?

tried save money, inflation happens

This will keep on happening if you live the US.
Best is to buy durable goods.

tried being nice, taken advantage of

What happened?

tried being honest, get hatred

Some people are mean and you'll get hatred from no matter what.
Be honest to those you can be honest to.

But again, what happened?

tried religion

Don't

tried theraphy,

Therapy exists because medicine for your ailment doesn't yet.

tried sell product online, fees and tax cut, also less buyers.

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[–] Shanmugha@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It is never about good and evil, only about what works and what doesn't. Contributing towards others wellbeing above your own will inevitably hurt the latter, unless you are so unshakeably well established within yourself that nothing can ever even scratch you. At the same time to even be capable to improve wellbeing of others you need your own wellbeing taken care of

And yes, wellbeing does not mean consuming more and of higher quality than someone else, it means being well

[–] shojivr@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

yeah i think i need to improve my wellbeing first, looking at current condition, i am totally not okay at all.

[–] Shanmugha@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

It is the best course of action, and it is my wish that your efforts bear fruit no matter what life will throw at you

[–] shojivr@lemmy.zip 2 points 5 hours ago

thanks, yeah i hope so too.

[–] davel@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

You’re going about this all wrong. Morality is similar to religion in that it’s make-believe. Good vs. evil discourse is unserious, despite most people in bourgeois states taking it seriously, as well as corporate media.

Previously:

This β€œevil/not evil” metaphysical dichotomy is a moral framework. There are no intrinsically ”evil” people, and I would drop that moral framework.

Philosophy professor and YouTuber Hans-Georg Moeller:

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[–] Ephera@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

This sounds like either bad mood or depression, depending on how long it has been going on.

My impression is that you're getting way in over your head on these issues when it's just your body failing to produce the right endorphins.
Yes, having successes can help to produce endorphins, but our bodies are dumbasses. Literally going outside when it's sunny is often more effective. Doing sports is often more effective.

Yes, this means struggling against it some more. Having depression is not easy. But I'm also saying that the solution might be much simpler than fixing the whole world. And you should not focus on fixing the whole world, you should focus on fixing your dumbass body.

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[–] redballooon@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Have you tried to just sit in silence? That's rewarding as hell.

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[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] shojivr@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 days ago

totally agreed

[–] soyslurper2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Are evil people negative? Pretty sure they are positive in a toxic sense

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[–] heartSagan5@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yeah. I just try to find the balance and let others deal.

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