I consider myself a very laid-back person. I don't like confrontation, and I am usually the first person to try to resolve a conflict between anyone, whether it be my friends or my peers. It's just the way I am. I don't believe in being fake, but I do believe that there is merit to being cordial and nice to everyone, to coexist, even if you may not necessarily like everyone.

If there is one thing that bothers me more than anything in the world, it's people who go out of their way to be mean or rude toward others for no reason, or just because they don't know them. Even more specifically, I dislike people who do this because they look down on other people and perceive themselves to be better than another person. Who do they think they are?

Nobody has the right to be condescending or mean to someone else for no reason. Unfortunately, we see throughout our whole lives, but especially in our teen and adolescent years. There is nothing more intimidating than a mean girl. Those women are scary as heck. And for what? For nothing. I'll repeat that for those in the back.

You will gain nothing from being a mean person. Ever.

In my opinion, there is no reason for someone to be outright mean to someone else. It takes so much more energy to be mean or condescending towards another person than it does to be a genuine person.

There are many examples of ways that someone could just be nice, whether it be saying hello when you pass someone on the street or in the hall or giving a smile. A smile or a simple nod can brighten someone's day, and we don't even realize it most of the time. The little gestures that normally go unnoticed may mean the world to someone. Even being graceful in a sticky situation, not furthering drama, and not sinking to the level of those who are perpetuating negativity around you can help someone so much. You can be better than that. You are better than that.

I realized in my senior year of high school that it is so much easier to be nice than it is to be mean. There is no point to it at all. If you say a nasty comment to someone you may not like, what have you gained? The look of hurt in their eyes when they realized you've just demeaned them and made them feel less than you? A sense of superiority because you've bested them in a game they weren't even playing? And you are the only one playing, make no mistake. Usually, people who feel the need to be condescending towards others have their own set of insecurities, and take it out on other people.

I've found that people who don't take out their insecurities on others are always more free, content and don't let themselves be beaten as easily--because they are nice, positive people. They are the smilers, the people who make you feel better after any conversation with them, and most importantly, they are genuine. They aren't fake nice, they don't act nice in front of you and then go around behind your back and turn into negative people.

There have been times in my life when I have been called a pushover, when I have been called "too complacent" because I do not consider confronting people a priority and would rather make peace than start a fight. While I have recognized that I can be a pushover, I don't think that that is always a bad thing. I have learned, especially in the last few years, that being mean and, even more so, being negative is just not worth it. You will waste so much of your time being negative when you could be making someone else's life, and your own life, better.

Think about it the next time you're faced with a situation where you could either ignore someone walking past you, or smile at them. Which will you do? You will never regret being kind, but you will always regret being that negative person.