There's a very thin line between being nice and allowing oneself to be a complete doormat -- a line many kind-hearted people struggle to identify.  Here are a few indicators that you probably should tone down the niceness factor just a little bit: 1. No matter how many t imes people let you down, you continue to issue them free passes.  All it takes is an ostensibly heart-felt apology for you to take someone back. Perhaps you're still with your boyfriend even after he cheated on you three times. Maybe you've kept in your life an old friend who has been spotted talking behind your back on a number of occasions. It's important to recognize that saying sorry means nothing if the person repeats the very behavior they express contrition for.  2. You constantly put others' needs and wishes before your own.  One thing is to help out those who find themselves in a real bind. Another is to bend over backwards for them at the expense of your own happiness, even when their...

I've learned that if there's anyone you should be wary of, it's a person who tries very hard to be everyone's friend -- the kind who wants to be liked by everyone and his mother. If they're that intent on gaining everyone's approval, it probably means that they are not genuine people. They will do and say just about anything just to curry others' favor. Then, when being nice to you no longer benefits them in any way, they may fall off the grid. You may never see or hear from them ever again. In other words, they're as fake as they come! Chances are you've come across someone like this at work, in the gym, or someplace else. Surely, there's nothing wrong with being polite to others. But when people overwhelm you with flattery and nice gestures, it begs the question: Why are they being so nice, especially if you've done nothing to deserve it? Perhaps they're trying to overcompensate for their low self-esteem, or they're...

It's a question that many men and women perceived as "nice" -- ones who have struck out repeatedly in the dating market -- have been scratching their heads over for what seems like, well, centuries. Can being too nice make you less attractive to dating prospects? As with anything else, there's no simple answer, and a bevy of factors have to be considered. For starters, "too nice" for one person can mean something entirely different to someone else, just like we all have different opinions on what counts as too sweet or salty when eating different foods. In general, though, a person may be regarded as too nice if they exhibit one or more of the following behaviors: Being highly agreeable  Being a complete pushover by never standing up for oneself  Attempting to buy someone's affections by heaping them with gifts and compliments they probably don't deserve, at least not so early in the game  Trying to avoid disagreements at all costs L...

George Washington. (1732-1799), the father of the United States and its first commander in chief, once said: "Be courteous with all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence." I agree wholeheartedly with Washington, particularly when it comes to the workplace. Yes, we should be polite to and respectful toward all those with whom we cross paths. What we should not do, however, is give away our trust too easily. Never confide in someone until he or she has earned your trust. Many of us have trusted people we thought we could rely upon, only to get severely burned. It has made us think twice about doing everything from giving a potential partner our heart to discussing personal details about our lives with coworkers. Everyone we meet should be vetted. Unfortunately, many of us let our emotions guide us in our daily interactions with people. We form positive impressions of people without really knowing them that well....

I've observed -- on a number of occasions I might add -- that certain women in the building where I work don't hold the door for someone walking behind them when entering or leaving a room. You might ask, "Well, how can you be so sure they know there's someone behind them?" I purposely cough to alert them to the fact. Still, they refuse to show common courtesy. And this isn't just a one-time thing: I have caught the same women doing this on multiple occasions. On the other hand, men seem to be a little more polite. I would say they hold the door 99.9% of the time. Why the difference between the sexes? I think that many men are accustomed to doing the chivalrous thing and holding doors for women. You might be surprised to find that most of them will also do this for other men. I get the sense, however, that some women think holding doors for others (especially for men) is beneath them. They might reason that women have fought so hard for equal right...