If you have an innate sense of compassion, empathy, and understanding, you may be a natural nice person. Nice people are often described as warm, friendly, and helpful, exhibiting kindness without expecting anything in return. They are usually a joy to be around and bring positivity to everyone they meet. However, being a nice person comes with some downsides.

Being nice makes it hard to say no to other people, especially when they ask for your help. If you don’t set boundaries, it can be easy for others to take advantage of you. This can be a toxic cycle, where you end up putting your own needs and feelings on the back burner in order to please others. This can also lead to resentment in the long run.

Whether you’re a naturally nice person or not, you can learn to set healthy boundaries by becoming more aware of the benefits and downsides of being nice. For example, a recent study found that being kind leads to greater emotional stability and self-esteem. It also boosts moods and increases social bonding by triggering the release of serotonin and oxytocin.

It’s important to set healthy boundaries in relationships, and that starts with being honest with yourself about what you want. For instance, if someone treats you badly but you still allow them to walk all over you because you’re afraid of losing the friendship, this can cause you to feel guilty or like you don’t deserve better. On the other hand, if you are honest with yourself and set clear boundaries with other people, you can avoid getting walked all over and still enjoy a healthy relationship.

When you’re a nice person, it’s common to put yourself in other people’s shoes and imagine how they would feel if the situation was reversed. This is a form of empathy, which helps you connect with other people and understand their perspectives. However, if you’re always trying to put yourself in other people’s shoes, it can lead to burnout and stress because it’s hard to maintain that state of mind all the time.

You might have heard the phrase he’s a really nice guy, but he’s just not my type, or you may have been friend-zoned by a guy who believes that being a good person automatically entitles him to sex. This expression gained popularity in the 2000s on some feminist spaces on the Internet and was eventually adapted into Nice Guy Syndrome, a term used to describe insecure men who believe that their niceness entitles them to sex.

While being nice can have its benefits, it’s important to be mindful of the potential downsides. For example, if you’re constantly repressing your true emotions to maintain a pleasant facade, these can come bubbling to the surface at some point and result in an explosive outburst. It’s also possible that your need to be liked can compromise the integrity of your work or your reputation. This can have disastrous consequences.