Why aren’t liars and cheaters the odd ones out? Why are we surprised when we leave our things unattended and they don’t get stolen?
Why don’t we believe it when somebody actually tells us the truth? Why are we so quick to assume they’re going to break our hearts? Why are we so shocked when they don’t?
Why are good people the odd ones out?
The longer I am alive, the more I become aware of the rarity in encountering a genuine, honest person. The people around me who I am supposed to “look up to” have, more often than not, dark secrets that are not spoken of.
I never wanted to believe the saying “nice guys finish last,” but I’m afraid to say that from the perspective of a selfish and unforgiving world, they do.
I once had this idea that mostly everyone had regard for those around them. I really believed that most people cared about other people, and would therefore act in such a way.
Although I still believe that every human, whether or not it is deep down, has a heart and a conscience, I have come to the realization that in fact, most people are not in touch with this essence of their self.
People cheat. They lie, they steal, and they let you down. They abandon you, they manipulate you, and inflict such pain willingly for their own good or personal gain.
The worst part is that we let them.
I’m afraid that as the years go on, we humans may tend to develop anarchic priorities. The reason for this, I am not entirely sure. Whether it is love of power, a need to be accepted, fear of failure, or all, but I am sure that it is in this means that we lose the beautiful parts of humanity.
We begin to look for acceptance instead of understanding, lust instead of love, possessions instead of memories and experiences. It is only until it is too late that we come to realize these things come at such a high price.
We lose the very thing that makes us most human — our connections with each other. We forget that we are all in this together. We put our selfish, materialistic desires over the well-being of those we claim to love, and the well-being of our own souls.
In doing so we lose our compassion, empathy, our ability to understand, to love, and to experience.
What should be the human cycle of endless love has instead been replaced with an endless cycle of bitterness.
It is true that hurt people hurt people, yet still we continue to hurt each other.
Even though I am saddened by the darkness of the world that I have come to know, I now have a special appreciation for those people of virtue. Those who are generous, patient, and kind. Those who choose to spread love in a world so full of hate. The odd ones out. 
