Why Smart, Kind People Get Treated Poorly

R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness · Jun 11, 2026 · 10m

You have probably met a lot of people in your life that will treat you poorly.

This week, or even today, you may experience somebody who is short with you, exasperated when you are around, gives you the eye rolls, gets angry, or suddenly disappears and ghosts you.

If you are like me, you internalize this immediately.

You think: Is it me? Am I at fault?

For a long time, I did this with almost every negative interaction. I still do. I immediately assume there is some flaw in me. I replay what I said. I think I did something wrong.

What I have realized over many years is that, very often, it is…