Craig Ruvere

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."  - Helen Keller When I was eight years old, my sister and I – along with a family friend my sister’s age – ventured out into the neighborhood after a heavy snowfall. While meandering through the un-shoveled snow bundled up like Eskimos, we came across a large evergreen tree whose branches were burdened by the heavy snowfall. Sadly, one branch had broken off from the stress of the frozen precipitation – now sticking straight up from the snow like a sapling sprouting from the earth. The broken branch immediately reminded me of a mini-Christmas tree. Being three years younger than my sister, I asked if we could take it…

The other day I came across a study originally published in the Harvard Business Review, which draws a conclusion about “nice guys” that truly surprised me. “Results showed that more agreeable — i.e., nicer and friendlier — men earned significantly less than other men. This isn't typically true for young workers — the effect is only visible once men turn 30, and it's strongest between ages 40 and 60.” This study (which followed men's earnings over a period of time) attributed three personality traits as the influencers of those earning greater financial benefits between the ages of 40 and 60. Those traits included men who are more conscientious, more extroverted, and less agreeable. These traits often do not apply to the “nice guys” out in the world. It got me…