📸: @nbs2
There's an old saying you've probably heard before: "Good guys finish last."
The idea behind it goes something like this:
Good guys never win, because they're not ruthless enough. They don't get ahead in life. They don't get the relationships they want. They never finish first … because they let the others push them out of the way.
It's not specific to just 'guys,' either. The assumption is that "good people"—men or women—will always get stepped on, because they're just "too nice." And unless they start stomping on others too, they will always come in last place.
That's the theory, anyway. But, you want to know the truth?
IT'S COMPLETE BS
It's a myth and a total fallacy.
The reality is that ignorance and cruelty are short-lived. They will get you nowhere in the long run.
Sure, when you knock down a competitor, you might win the race. But who will win the journey? Cruelty might help you get a few steps ahead, but only in the short term. It never goes unchecked forever. In the end, the better person comes out on top—and by "better" we mean not just a measure of ability but also decency and integrity. Kindness always prevails.
Not only does kindness prevail here and now on earth, but it will continue to withstand the test of time through eternity. True kindness isn't merely a thing you do once in a while. It's a way of being. Compassion is a fire that, once lit, is hard to extinguish. It's a fuel that propels your ambitions, not impedes them. It makes you better in every possible way.
BE RUTHLESS—TO YOURSELF, NOT OTHERS
There's another problem with the "good guys finish last" myth. It confuses cruelty with confidence.
The fact is you can be fiercely competitive without being cruel. You can be confident without being arrogant. And to hit your goals, you absolutely need both: unflinching confidence and a burning desire to win. You can't come out on top unless you fight like hell to get there.
But that struggle is largely internal, not external! You need to be ruthless against yourself. That doesn't mean knocking yourself down. It means constantly pushing yourself up, working harder, always beating your previous best, and shedding your weaknesses without looking back.
As for the people around you? You should be building them up, not putting them down. Be fierce in your ambition, but be kind on the way up. You'll achieve far more by leading and inspiring, rather than tearing down your competition.
Over time, you'll see how this kindness actually works to your advantage and helps you succeed, rather than the other way around. That compassion is the difference between someone who merely "wins" and someone who wins while also elevating the whole game to a higher level.