Being a Security Officer in the ghettos of Downtown Toronto has jaded me a lot. Not so much as that I am not a nice guy anymore, but I do have a lot less sympathy for people who aren't willing to hack it in life, as well as becoming wiser to the ways of people who make a living off of deception and guile.

That being said, I have been taken advantage of a lot by women... wait, girls... when I was in high school because of my 'nice guy' image. It also led one of the football players to pull a knife on me and mug me for a half quarter one day after school. That was 2 years ago, when I weighed 135 and was all skin and bones. I'm 190 lbs now, and I _will not_ let a girl walk all over me again, similarly, I won't hesitate to beat the piss out of some fool who tries to pull a shank on me.

Being a nice guy doesn't mean avoid confrontation, or being happy with simply getting along with everyone, because there are people who will take advantage of you.

Like Rocky said: "The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody isn't gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you can hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."

Be a nice guy, because its a good thing to be an easy-going, enjoyable, smart person to be around.

Don't be a nice guy for the sake of being a nice guy.