256 - Why Being Nice Is Getting Harder

256 - Why Being Nice Is Getting Harder

From Life Happens with Barb & Michelle by Michelle Maros & Barb Schmidt

May 5, 2026 · 37 min · Episode 256

About this episode

Barb and Michelle discuss the increasing prevalence of cruelty and how to navigate interactions with mean people while maintaining compassion.

Mean people are everywhere right now and the data confirms it. In this episode, Barb and Michelle unpack why cruelty seems to be escalating, breaking down the different types of mean people we all encounter and what actually drives their behavior. Barb shares a raw, personal story about being screamed at in a parking lot while her mother was dying in hospice, and what that moment taught her about judgment, control, and the stories we never see. This conversation goes deep into narcissism, spiritual bypassing, the difference between empathy and giving someone a pass, and how to stop carrying what was never yours in the first place. Whether you are dealing with a cruel stranger, a toxic family member, or your own tendency to absorb other people's behavior, this episode gives you a practical framework for protecting your peace without losing your compassion. What you'll take away: Why the shift from "thinking it" to "saying it" is fueling a cruelty epidemic The grocery store moment that reveals how we all judge without knowing someone's story How to shift from asking "why are they like this" to "what can I do right now" What a real narcissist looks like and why they genuinely cannot…

People in this episode

Hosts: Barb Schmidt, Michelle Maros

Topics covered

  • cruelty
  • narcissism
  • empathy
  • self-protection
  • personal stories
  • judgment

Keywords

  • mean people
  • cruelty epidemic
  • narcissism
  • empathy
  • personal story
  • toxic relationships
  • self-protection

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