If you’re walking through a crowded city, it can be hard to acknowledge everyone you pass. Try to at least be nice to the people you end up sitting next to on a bus or plane, or those who accidentally bump into you. Say “good morning” to your fellow classmates and teachers or coworkers in the morning when you walk into the school or your workplace. You’ll soon earn a reputation as a nice person.
Don’t forget to always say “Excuse me” instead of “MOVE!” when someone’s in your way. People aren’t like the ground that you can just spit on. They are living beings like you. If you are respectful to that person, that person will usually act the same way. If you’re on public transportation and an elderly, disabled or pregnant person gets on board, offer your seat. It’s the nice thing to do. (And in some areas, it’s the law!) If you see someone in need of a little help, perhaps picking up something he or she dropped or reaching something from a high shelf, help out.
Smile when you pass people in the street, when you buy something from a shop clerk, when you walk into school in the morning, or anytime you make eye contact with someone else. If you are in a bad mood and don’t want to smile, try listening to music, drawing, or doing something else you enjoy. This can prevent you from acting harshly towards people or being rude (even if you don’t mean to be).
Don’t discriminate. Be equally nice to everyone. Even if you’re nice to your friends and teachers, but you aren’t nice to people who aren’t cool or popular, you may not actually seem as nice as you actually are. Do not judge others by race, age, gender, sexuality, ability, or religion.
If you have a problem or question about someone, just ask. Bring these conflicts out into the open to make them much more manageable in a kind, easy way.
Ask people how they are doing. Take the time to ask someone how things are going in their lives, without being nosy or intrusive. If they seem resistant to talking, don’t push them to say more than they feel like saying.
If someone leaves you a message, call them back promptly. It’s not nice to leave them hanging for days on end. If you say you’ll be somewhere, be there. If you say you’ll do something, do it. Being flaky hurts people’s confidence in you, and it’s not a nice way to act. Commit to your friendship.
When you become angry and feel you’re going to act in a way that isn’t nice, take it out in a different way instead of being cruel. Go for a run, beat up your pillow, or calm down with a video game. You have control over your actions and behavior. Remember to always treat people the way you would like to be treated. When you fully respect others’ dignity, then automatically more people see you as a nice, caring, trustful, and considerate friend. At the end of the day, you want to be respected for your views, ideas, and passions, even if the other person doesn’t share them. You should offer the same courtesy to others as well.
Even if they don’t ask for your forgiveness, try and move on. Someone who hurts you and won’t apologize is generally not worth a lot of your worry and anger. [18] X Research source
