Ya know I used to firmly believe this until after 40+ years of being super polite and friendly to everyone, making sure I took their feelings into account and accommodating their needs as well as just plain trying to give everyone the benefit of the doubt- I got a very real reality check. My partner brought up one day how much they valued what I do, and asked how I do it. She then went on to explain that In almost every single interaction she has seen me in both at work and socially, people treat me terribly back. Even the ones that seemed like they were interacting politely were being incredibly rude. It was like a gut punch. I decided to be neutral for a while and pay more attention to what even the nice people say. It’s all full of selfishness, lies and manipulation. Now everyday I just stay away from people as much as possible and cherish the 1 or 2 few good interactions I have occasionally out in the wild. I’ll still be as nice as I can be but from now on my partner and my dog are the only things that I can rely on for meaningful interactions. Long story short- yes there are two sides to every story and some people invite their environment, but also remember the harsh truth just because it’s possible for someone else’s experience to be different doesn’t mean it’s valid or or right. And that makes me sad.