--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You should be nice to people because it's…" description: "\"You should be nice to people because it's better to be nice to people than mean to people, not because you think there's something in it for you.\" — Mi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32a/michael-schur-12718_be-nice-to-people_you-should-be-nice-to-people-because-it_267717.jpg" --- # You should be nice to people because it's better to be… ![“You should be nice to people because it's better to be nice to people than mean to people, not because you think there's something in it for you.” quote by Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32a/michael-schur-12718_be-nice-to-people_you-should-be-nice-to-people-because-it_267717.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32a/michael-schur-12718_be-nice-to-people_you-should-be-nice-to-people-because-it_267717.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32a/michael-schur-12718_be-nice-to-people_you-should-be-nice-to-people-because-it_267717.jpg) > “You should be nice to people because it's better to be nice to people than mean to people, not because you think there's something in it for you.” [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Kindness is its own reward, not a transactional act for personal gain. **In simple terms:** Be nice because it’s right, not for profit. Key Takeaway Practice genuine kindness. Themes ethics altruism social behavior Mood warm thoughtful Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - workplace culture - volunteering - daily interactions Key Concepts philosophy behavioral economics Questions to Reflect On - When have you helped without expecting anything? - How does genuine kindness affect your relationships? A Different Perspective People may doubt sincerity of kind acts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Be nice to people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-nice-to-people/) [Being nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-nice/) [Better Nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-nice-2168567/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Mean people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean-people/) [Nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice/) [Nice people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-better/) [People Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-mean/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Being nice to people is, in fact, one of the incidental tenets of Christianity, as opposed to other religions whose tenets are more along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/being-nice-to-people-is-in-fact-one-of-the-incidental-tenets-of/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [To be loved, you have to be nice to people, everyday. But to be hated, you don't have to do squat!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/to-be-loved-you-have-to-be-nice-to-people-everyday-but-to-be-hated/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [I've always tried to be nice to people, so that sort of translates into popularity, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-richter/i-ve-always-tried-to-be-nice-to-people-so-that-sort-of-translates/) [Andy Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-richter/) > [“Be nice to people... maybe it'll be unappreciated, unreciprocated, or ignored, but spread the love anyway. We rise by lifting others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/be-nice-to-people-maybe-it-ll-be-unappreciated-unreciprocated-or/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [It doesn't cost nothing to be nice to people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/it-doesn-t-cost-nothing-to-be-nice-to-people/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [I wasn't raised Catholic; I just really like the image of a neutral and benign Mary floating around somewhere, being nice to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/i-wasn-t-raised-catholic-i-just-really-like-the-image-of-a-neutral/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [Just be nice to people and be someone people want to work with because if people don't like working with you it's just not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gigi-hadid/just-be-nice-to-people-and-be-someone-people-want-to-work-with/) [Gigi Hadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gigi-hadid/) > [“Be the girl you want your daughter to be. Be the girl you want your son to date. Be classy, be smart, be real,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/be-the-girl-you-want-your-daughter-to-be-be-the-girl-you-want-your/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [And then, one Thursday, nearly two thousand years after one man had been nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/and-then-one-thursday-nearly-two-thousand-years-after-one-man-had/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Be nice to people whether you mean it or not. You never know when a kind word can make a difference in another person’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-king/be-nice-to-people-whether-you-mean-it-or-not-you-never-know-when-a/) [Cassandra King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-king/) > [I don't have to be nice to people who are causing great damage to the nation...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-bainimarama/i-don-t-have-to-be-nice-to-people-who-are-causing-great-damage-to-the/) [Frank Bainimarama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-bainimarama/) > [I think sometimes people forget how to be nice to people. I try not to let it get to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlyne-yi/i-think-sometimes-people-forget-how-to-be-nice-to-people-i-try-not-to/) [Charlyne Yi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlyne-yi/) > [To be nice to people and make them happy - that's my philosophy in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiromi/to-be-nice-to-people-and-make-them-happy-that-s-my-philosophy-in-life/) [Hiromi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiromi/) > [Always be nice to people. Whatever, how bad they are to you. To show them you are not like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-tomlinson/always-be-nice-to-people-whatever-how-bad-they-are-to-you-to-show/) [Louis Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-tomlinson/) > [I like to be nice to people, but sometimes people aren't nice to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-like-to-be-nice-to-people-but-sometimes-people-aren-t-nice-to-me/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) ## More by Michael Schur > [I personally think the best ideas for TV shows - at least comedies - are very low-fi ideas. High concepts often sell pitches in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/i-personally-think-the-best-ideas-for-tv-shows-at-least-comedies-are/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [You really don't settle on an idea until you're really sure it's the best idea. Then once you settle on it you commit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/you-really-don-t-settle-on-an-idea-until-you-re-really-sure-it-s-the/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [A million years ago, when doing research about the world of municipal government, one thing that struck me is how often people's job titles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/a-million-years-ago-when-doing-research-about-the-world-of-municipal/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [Sometimes you've got to just commit to the idea and press forward and trust that you made the right decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/sometimes-you-ve-got-to-just-commit-to-the-idea-and-press-forward-and/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [People do things with terrible motivations and those motivations are selfish and self-interested and financially driven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/people-do-things-with-terrible-motivations-and-those-motivations-are/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [I find Billy Eichner to be hilarious, though I also imagine that for many, a little goes a long way. Billy provides a kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/i-find-billy-eichner-to-be-hilarious-though-i-also-imagine-that-for/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [I am of the opinion that there is more high-quality television being produced than at any time in the history of television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/i-am-of-the-opinion-that-there-is-more-high-quality-television-being/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [People think of taxes as money just being robbed from you. They don't consider the benefits of paying taxes. The benefits that they get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/people-think-of-taxes-as-money-just-being-robbed-from-you-they-don-t/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [I don't know why anybody does anything in the world of television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/i-don-t-know-why-anybody-does-anything-in-the-world-of-television/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [All of comedy at some level is trial-and-error, whether it's a stand-up trying out jokes or a comedy show trying stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/all-of-comedy-at-some-level-is-trial-and-error-whether-it-s-a-stand/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [If the doors aren't open, just kick them in and keep walking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/if-the-doors-aren-t-open-just-kick-them-in-and-keep-walking/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [I stopped using Twitter for a while just because I got sick of it and I started using it again, but I don't check…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/i-stopped-using-twitter-for-a-while-just-because-i-got-sick-of-it-and/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [Society is completely unreasonable. People want everything and want to pay for nothing. They panic if they think about their taxes being raised, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/society-is-completely-unreasonable-people-want-everything-and-want-to/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [ I hate this phrase, but it's a "can do" attitude \[that's important\] that, whatever you do in life, you should have. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/i-hate-this-phrase-but-it-s-a-can-do-attitude-that-s-important-that/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [Topical-sketch writing were incredibly rational and well reasoned: don't do a joke if the subject doesn't deserve it. An ad hominem attack on someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/topical-sketch-writing-were-incredibly-rational-and-well-reasoned-don/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) [Explore all 53 Michael Schur quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) ## More Be nice to people quotes > [Being nice to people is, in fact, one of the incidental tenets of Christianity, as opposed to other religions whose tenets are more along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/being-nice-to-people-is-in-fact-one-of-the-incidental-tenets-of/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [Always be nice to people. Whatever, how bad they are to you. To show them you are not like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-tomlinson/always-be-nice-to-people-whatever-how-bad-they-are-to-you-to-show/) [Louis Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-tomlinson/) > [In Texas, you just learn just be nice to people and respect them, and respect where they're coming from. And understand people have different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-spieth/in-texas-you-just-learn-just-be-nice-to-people-and-respect-them-and/) [Jordan Spieth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-spieth/) > [I'm so sick of immaturity, of name-calling, of labels, of gossip, of high school. It doesn't make sense anymore, and I find myself being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-chanel/i-m-so-sick-of-immaturity-of-name-calling-of-labels-of-gossip-of-high/) [Coco Chanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-chanel/) > [To be nice to people and make them happy - that's my philosophy in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiromi/to-be-nice-to-people-and-make-them-happy-that-s-my-philosophy-in-life/) [Hiromi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiromi/) > [I think sometimes people forget how to be nice to people. I try not to let it get to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlyne-yi/i-think-sometimes-people-forget-how-to-be-nice-to-people-i-try-not-to/) [Charlyne Yi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlyne-yi/) > [I don't have to be nice to people who are causing great damage to the nation...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-bainimarama/i-don-t-have-to-be-nice-to-people-who-are-causing-great-damage-to-the/) [Frank Bainimarama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-bainimarama/) > [She was plain and far from skinny or petite. As for parties...she'd rather be alone in a corner somewhere reading. She hated being nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/she-was-plain-and-far-from-skinny-or-petite-as-for-parties-she-d/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Be nice to people whether you mean it or not. You never know when a kind word can make a difference in another person’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-king/be-nice-to-people-whether-you-mean-it-or-not-you-never-know-when-a/) [Cassandra King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-king/) > [And then, one Thursday, nearly two thousand years after one man had been nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/and-then-one-thursday-nearly-two-thousand-years-after-one-man-had/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“The most attractive thing about you should have less to do with your face or body and more to do with your attitude and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/the-most-attractive-thing-about-you-should-have-less-to-do-with-your/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [I learned that you should breath it in, breath your life in and enjoy it. Always be optimistic and be nice to people, open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stana-katic/i-learned-that-you-should-breath-it-in-breath-your-life-in-and-enjoy/) [Stana Katic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stana-katic/) > [“Be the girl you want your daughter to be. Be the girl you want your son to date. Be classy, be smart, be real,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/be-the-girl-you-want-your-daughter-to-be-be-the-girl-you-want-your/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [Just be nice to people and be someone people want to work with because if people don't like working with you it's just not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gigi-hadid/just-be-nice-to-people-and-be-someone-people-want-to-work-with/) [Gigi Hadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gigi-hadid/) > [I wasn't raised Catholic; I just really like the image of a neutral and benign Mary floating around somewhere, being nice to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/i-wasn-t-raised-catholic-i-just-really-like-the-image-of-a-neutral/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) [Browse all 28 Be nice to people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-nice-to-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You should be nice to people because it's better to be nice to people than mean to people, not because you think there's something in it for you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Schur" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/you-should-be-nice-to-people-because-it-s-better-to-be-nice-to-people/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be nice to people" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/you-should-be-nice-to-people-because-it-s-better-to-be-nice-to-people/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32a/michael-schur-12718_be-nice-to-people_you-should-be-nice-to-people-because-it_267717.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32a/michael-schur-12718_be-nice-to-people_you-should-be-nice-to-people-because-it_267717.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32a/michael-schur-12718_be-nice-to-people_you-should-be-nice-to-people-because-it_267717.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You should be nice to people because it's better to be nice to people than mean to people, not because you…” — Michael Schur", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Schur", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You should be nice to people...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/you-should-be-nice-to-people-because-it-s-better-to-be-nice-to-people/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/you-should-be-nice-to-people-because-it-s-better-to-be-nice-to-people/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```