We all know what they say about nice guys and their chances
of winning that spiffy looking gold medal. However, like so
many other tried and true phrases that have been passed down
through the ages, this one got a little mangled in the translation.
It probably started back when scholars were first translating
all those ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. An unnamed professor,
clearly a cat lover, took the symbol of a man with the head
of a dog as a bad omen. Sweaty, confident and excited, he
jotted down the first phrase ever recorded from this mysterious
race of days gone by, "Nice guys finish last."
However, much to the consternation of the professor, there
followed a second, almost identical phrase, with differences
so subtle as to be easily overlooked. Once again, the dog
headed man appeared in a small but similar bit of Egyptian
folk wisdom, this time proclaiming, "Stupid nice guys
finish last." Assuming it was the same phrase merely
repeated for emphasis, he let his original translation stand.
Faster than you could shake a gilded scepter, this misinterpretation
spread like wildfire throughout the popular press, and soon
everyone was misquoting that famous old Egyptian saying, "Nice
guys finish first." The professor's cat, clearly cognizant
of the damage done, couldn't have been more pleased. But then,
cats are like that sometimes.
If the Egyptians believed that nice guys finish first and
only stupid nice guys finish last, what impact does this have
on our modern society? Apart from the fact that archaeologists
should be prohibited by federal law from harboring cats, this
shocking discovery, only recently uncovered, has broad implications
which affect us all.
Nice guys, long the topic of countless cocktail party jokes,
might well stage an uprising. Before you know it, our entire
nation, perhaps even the world at large, could be run by nice
guys. I only hope they have the dignity to establish a welfare
program for all of those out of work politicians.
Therefore, since the fate of the world hangs in the balance,
perhaps it's time to ask what the distinction is between a
nice guy and a stupid nice guy. Fortunately, having a friend
who was King Tut in a previous lifetime (and please don't
ask about the costume parties), I have a rather unique perspective
on this matter.
Nice guys are a frequent target because it's assumed that
they're completely defenseless. Being a good natured lot,
it's taken for granted that they will never resist an injustice
and have no understanding of human nature, office politics,
or the dog eat dog tendencies of people who are driven by
social or career ambitions (my neighbor's cat insisted that
I add that last little bit). In fact, this was what the ancient
Egyptians meant by stupid nice guys. The hieroglyphic subtleties
are doubtless due to the prominence of cats in their culture.
Nonetheless, the scheming of cats and dogs aside, consider
the power of someone who treats everyone they meet with kindness,
dignity and respect. Such a person would enter every relationship
thinking of what would benefit the other person. Furthermore,
being honorable and trustworthy by nature, they would have
tremendous credibility These attributes alone would bring
them a veritable army of enthusiastic friends and allies,
since everyone wants to associate with people who treat them
well.
However, true nice guys are also students of strategy and
human nature. They see conflict coming and are usually gone
before it arrives. When cornered, they don't shrug their shoulders
and simply take the injustice, they apply whatever remedy
is needed for defense, from gentle diplomacy to tapping their
antagonist on the head with a gilded scepter.
Good heavens, the combination of benevolence and social street
smarts would make these guys invincible. Perhaps it's best
the Egyptians were misquoted after all. I mean, what would
we do with all of those out of work politicians?
Christopher Duncan is the best selling author of Unite
the Tribes and The Career Programmer. In addition to his seminars,
he's a popular speaker and frequent guest on radio shows across
the country. He's currently working to improve companies and
careers nationwide through his work with the Campaign for
American Excellence. To contact Christopher, visit http://www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
