- Being nice at work seems like a no brainer, right?
- Well, if you're too friendly, you might end up holding yourself back in the workplace.
- Don't ever let people take advantage of your kindness in the office.
From a young age we're taught to play nice with others and treat people as we'd like to be treated.
As we get older, this mindset translates into how we behave at work. But is it possible to be too nice in the workplace?
Quora users discussed this question in the 2014 thread: "What are the disadvantages of being too nice to people?" As it turns out, the respondents found that there are quite a few ways that being overly friendly might be holding you back at work.
Business Insider rounded up some of the best answers to show how being too nice can backfire. To be clear, you shouldn't stop being friendly — just don't be afraid to stand up for yourself.
SEE ALSO: The personality trait most people see as a weakness may actually be a huge asset in business
You may seem boring
Being too nice can come across as passive and bland. "People will soon start finding you boring," said Manish Barnwal. It's great to be polite, but let your personality show.
People might not listen to you
"If you find it hard to say no, people will eventually assume you mean yes even when you say no, and repeatedly pester or coax you to do something you actually don't want to do," said Adrija Subramanian.
Coworkers will start to see you as someone who can't say no, and try and talk you into helping with everything — even when you have your hands full.
Quora user Borang Touch agreed, noting that you'll start to attract the type of people who will guilt trip you when you say no to something.
People may take advantage of you
Some people might perceive your niceness as a sign of weakness, said Christopher Kosel. This leads them to believe that you won't stand up for yourself, so you'll be easy to manipulate.
And once you start doing everything people ask of you, they'll come to expect it. "They'll just walk all over you!" said Quora user Niharika Kishore. "If once you give them the message 'it's okay,' they'll think it's their right to do that every time."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider