I don’t always succeed, but I try really hard to be a “nice guy.” And by that I mean, I try really hard to be a good man. 

After many years of struggle, I do think good guys finish last. Maybe not all the time, but I think it’s rare to see a good guy finish first. I find this to be especially true in workplaces that are competitive and aggressive, which unfortunately for me is a lot of places. I don’t always finish last, but I seldom am a champion in any competition, at work or otherwise.

So what? 

The one time, literally, where I feel like good guys do alright is with love and marriage. In my experience, good guys (and good gals) find good partners and good friends, almost all of the time, in the long run.

And even if that doesn’t work out, being a good guy requires no special reward. The inner peace it brings is perhaps the worthiest human aspiration. The world also needs more folks that choose goodness to prevent us all from descending into madness.

By my calculation, being a good guy is still worth it, even if it means finishing last, or at least not first, in every respect except maybe one or two.

In fact, it’s not even close.