#as well: making mistakes and having moments of emotional instability doesnt betray your personality

[beatbawksradio]

me: i think all of the world's problems could be solved with love and kindness. i just want to be nice, even to mean people, bc i want to show them that there's a better way to live and hopefully they'll learn to be nicer, too

my therapist: BACK UP. THATS A FAWNING RESPONSE. YOU WERE ABUSED IN CHILDHOOD. THERE REALLY ARE PEOPLE YOU SHOULD JUST AVOID ACTUALLY

me: but what if they go on to continue hurting other people? what if i could do something to change that? what if they're not aware that they're being hurtful?

my therapist: while trusting that people want to generally do good is a healthy mindset, its unfortunately not an absolute. there are people who just straight up choose to be abusive, and neither their actions, nor the hurt they cause others, are your responsibility. you do not need to "prove" to anyone that you're a good person by being friends with or even being nice to everyone on the planet. there are people you simply shouldn't be nice to. the simple fact that you want to be as nice as you possibly can is what drives your decision-making and inherently makes you a good person, full stop. thats not something that needs proving