Turns Out Nice Guys Can Beat the Odds After All

Scientists agreed some time ago that nice guys – individuals who tend to be friendly and cooperative – have a lot to lose in the real world, primarily because of others' selfishness. However, a new research shows that that is not always the case.

In a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), experts show how friendliness and cooperation influence one's standing in the dynamic and complex world of social interactions, PsychCentral reports.

The study shows that nice guys tend to benefit extensively from an expanded social sphere, which they gain access to through their behaviors. At the same time, those who were previously thought to have the advantage – the selfish ones – are marginalized and excluded due to their behaviors.

“What this is showing is that a key aspect of real-world social networks is the dynamic component. The point of this paper is to say that those networks are always shifting, and they’re not shifting in random ways,” Harvard University postdoctoral fellow Dr. David Rand explains.