“Nice Girls Die” & 3 Other Cynical Life Mottos I Swear By
My mom has a small set of life rules she lives by:
- Be Simple
- Be Positive
- Be Happy
She’s an optimist, a silver-lining kind of person. Her mottos work for her. I think about them from time to time, and they have their place in my life.
Over the years, I’ve developed my own life mottos. I’m a realist, and positive platitudes don’t always appeal to me.
These mottos began as jokes I’d repeat to friends, always delivered with a smile and my signature irony. I kept using them. The more I did, the more truth I found in them.
1) Trust No One
This probably sounds harsher than it is. Of course, I have plenty of people in my life I trust and can count on, but trust doesn’t mean giving everyone full access all the time. Being close to someone shouldn’t obligate me to share every insecurity or air out dirty laundry.
People interpret things through their own filters anyway. Even well-meaning advice can be shaped by someone else’s limitations, fears, or blind spots. I’m careful about what I say and to whom. Even the people who love you the most have insecurities and triggers that can distort what they hear.
I don't want my business on the streets, especially information that could be twisted, misunderstood, or used against me. I'm not going to offer myself up for public inspection if I don't need to.
Details about my personal life should be earned. Too many people are giving it away for free on social media. I understand that attention can be addictive, and people can even make money getting personal online, but I don't think it's worth the risk. Maybe 99% of followers are harmless, but it only takes one to make things dangerous. I take the same approach with possessions. I don't leave my stuff lying around in public spaces, such as the gym. Most people are not thieves, but one bad apple can ruin it for everyone.
2) Trash Takes Itself Out
This concept has made my life so much easier. When others are caught up in conflict or drama, I don’t insert myself. Adults can handle their own messes. I don’t need to play fixer or try to control outcomes. If someone drifts out of my life, I don’t chase them. It could be that the connection has run its course. I mind my own business and let the trash take itself out.
On a larger scale, I’ve stopped being frustrated with global problems, such as environmental issues. The world always balances itself out.
3) Nice Girls Die
While nice guys finish last, women who are too nice can literally die. I'm being dead serious.
I think about the women who sacrificed their self-respect to stay in toxic relationships or soul-crushing jobs, to their demise. I think about Gabby Petito, the sweet woman whose fiancé strangled her and left her body in the woods. I think about a family member in China who worked for a verbally abusive boss. Was that linked to the cancer she suddenly developed that killed her in her early thirties?
It's healthier for women to stand up for themselves, even if that means getting angry and not being "nice." Speaking up is better than holding things in until you implode. Self-respect and having healthy boundaries matter more than being likable or trying to keep the peace.
I would rather be labeled difficult or a bitch than to, like, die.
4) Avoid the Unhappy and the Unlucky
This comes from The 48 Laws of Power, and it has stayed with me. I'm not talking about friends who need support during hard times. I'm talking about people who live in a constant state of crisis or negativity. They are usually trauma dumpers and energy vampires.
They don't gravitate towards me because I'm not "nice" enough to listen to them complain about how hard life is or rescue them from problems they created in the first place. And since I let trash take itself out, I let them solve their own problems.
If you don't recognize these people yet, you will learn the hard way. You will start feeling drained, resentful, and maybe even depressed after being around them. Once they've sucked every last breath out of you, they will rub their bad luck and unhappiness all over you. Is that what you want for yourself?
What are your life mottos? Let us know in the comments below.
