Are You Teaching People to Treat You Badly?

The below post is by Adam Dachis and is thought provoking regarding how we reward bad bahaviour, partcularly at work:

Being the Better Person Will Teach People To Treat You Like Crap

We're taught to turn the other cheek—that being kind in the face of hostility is the better way to respond to conflict so love can overcome hate. According to psychologist Clifford N. Lazarus, writing for Psychology Today, that sort of reaction just teaches abusive people that their behavior is effective. Here's why.

It all comes down to something called the "Law of Effect", which refers to the way people interpret and understand the behavior of others. For example, if someone treats you poorly and you treat them kindly, the effect produced by their bad behavior is your affection. By being nice to mean people, you're essentially creating a reward system for bad behavior.



This doesn't mean you should devolve into a complete asshole anytime you encounter one, but it is important to remember that there is such thing as being too nice. When someone does something that bothers you, it's important to take that immediate opportunity to tell them. Being kind is often just an excuse to avoid necessary conflict. You don't have to be a jerk, but you do have to confront the situation or risk encouraging the bad behavior you're seeking to prevent.


Psychology Today
By Adam Dachis