**"How to Stop Selfish People from Exploiting You: Secrets to Protecting Your Kindness"**

How to Stop Selfish People from Exploiting You: Secrets to Protecting Your Kindness

### Key Points:  

1. **What is Selfishness?**  

   - Defined as "acting in a way that benefits oneself at the expense of others" (Reuters).  

2. **Real-Life Example:**  

   - A relative who constantly takes advantage of your kindness, expecting to be served without contributing.  

3. **Selfishness in Relationships:**  

   - A selfish partner may fail to provide support or respond to your needs.  

   - Study by Rainey Sizemore and Levi Baker links selfishness to low levels of agreeableness.  

   - People with low agreeableness tend to be cynical, greedy, hostile, and self-centered.  

4. **The Role of Commitment in Relationships:**  

   - High commitment from one partner can lead to exploitation by the selfish partner.  

   - Realizing that a partner is highly committed can have negative effects on the relationship.  

5. **How to Deal with Selfish People:**  

   - **Don’t Reveal Your Level of Commitment:** Pretend to be less invested to avoid exploitation.  

   - **Make Yourself Hard to Reach:** Show that you’re not always available.  

   - **Act Cautiously:** Avoid showing your full emotions to prevent being taken advantage of.  

6. **The Bottom Line:**  

   - Preventing selfish people from exploiting you may require acting less agreeable and attentive.  

   - Over time, this approach can lead to more satisfying outcomes for everyone involved.