Superheroes Aren't Nice

I have always had a problem with nice people. People-pleasers who maintain their niceness all the time. Society is hardwired to like such people. Maybe I'm crazy, but I despise people who have a predetermined behavior or mood at all times. Always hospitable, smiling, quick to greet, flashing their white teeth, and maintaining eye contact.

There are two kinds of "nicey nice" people that I have observed.

1. The fake nice people: The job of these people is to be nice because they have an ulterior motive, like a sale or some future benefit, in the back of their mind. When they are listening to someone, they nod as if they heard what the other person was saying, but in reality, they are nodding because they want to have their way.
2. People who don’t like conflicts: Many individuals assume they are nice when all they are is subservient, agreeable, and striving to make others like them by never indulging in a conflict.

Both of these nice people are dangerous.

Even Peter Parker was friend-zoned and ignored before he started showing different colours after morphing into Spiderman.

Making people upset or starting a conflict is generally avoided in society. Superheroes are different. If a hero avoids conflict and maintains peace, he will gradually start a war within himself. A superhero has the guts to call a spade a spade and keep the option of a conflict (verbal or otherwise) on the table. Basically, he upholds the truth, does not care about being nice, and is ready to fight. Being righteous always has a price in society.

If you are a people-pleaser who is always super nice to everyone, you will be taken advantage of sooner or later. You won’t be able to say "no" to anyone and would lose respect even as you strive harder and harder to keep up with your behaviour through your actions or favours.

Real People

James Bond isn’t likeable, and I say this after watching almost all of his movies. He is disliked by most of his peers and is constantly backstabbed. His friends are such that he doesn’t really have the need for enemies, but he still has a generous dose of them.

Why is he not liked? It is because he is always saying things that make people uncomfortable. He is the anti-diplomat guy. He drops truth bombs whenever he is on screen. Guys hate him. Girls suddenly swoon over him. He is a hero. His greatest power, apart from being super smart, agile, and a killer henchman, is his realism. He gives a damn about what people think. He is one of the longest-running heroic characters in cinema.

Take Batman, or Iron Man, or Black Widow. Pick any of the superheroes, and you will see a flame. The flame of being real and righteous.

Going deeper into history, look at Lord Krishna or Lord Buddha. Both were ridiculed by most of the human population when they walked on this planet. Krishna’s life story was distorted to make him look like a womanizer, and Lord Buddha was spit upon by many villages upon his arrival.

The fake stories and rumours had a reason. They were real individuals. They were gods. They were modern-day superheroes.They were not people-pleasers or diplomatic individuals. They spoke the truth because they were close to the source. Close to God They were fearless and didn’t think in terms of conflict avoidance. When Lord Krishna understood that peace isn’t an option, he ensured that the villains of their time were vanquished.

Different Colours

If someone is always nice, just pause and try to understand why they are being nice. Is it an act, or even if it is genuine, why is their behaviour so one-dimensional? Real people have different colours, hues, seasons, moods, emotions, and feelings. They are like the moon, changing every night.

Let go of the nicey nice image and create an authentic self by being real, righteous, and fearless. Being nice is not for superheroes.

Vikram