“It’s time to be a bad person,” he said.

“Excuse me?” I asked.

“I told her that it was time for her to be a bad person.”

He had my attention.

 

That was a part of a fascinating conversation I had with someone on a flight back from Florida last week.

It started near the airport gate. I saw this young guy. He exuded cool. Muscular, wearing a vest with no shirt on underneath. Definitely confident to rock that. A beanie, sunglasses, and headphones around his neck completed the look. His vibe was, “I am a cool dude. I run this town.”

15 minutes later, we are sitting next to each other on the flight.

Of course we were.

By way of introduction, I asked him, “So… are you a bodybuilder? A professional fighter? You have to be something to look this cool and have all your muscles.”

He laughed and went on to tell me about the businesses he owns in fitness, mindset, and music. All online. He was an influencer of some kind.

Of course he was.

But over the next two hours, he forced me to throw out all the stereotypes I might have had. He was a level-headed, mature young man. He shared example after example of how he helps his clients. Which brings us to his comment about being a bad person.

One of his clients, a young woman, was making herself miserable doing things she didn’t want to do to avoid disappointing people.

Going to parties she didn’t want to attend.

Drinking when she didn’t want to drink.

Eating food she didn’t want to eat.

She was doing all these things so her friends or family wouldn’t be mad at her.

He tried to explain that most of these people wouldn’t be mad if she didn’t go to every party, didn’t drink, or didn’t eat everything that was offered.

“But some will. They will be mad at me. They have been before.”

“Then, it’s time for you to be a bad person.”

He wasn’t suggesting that she be rude, mean, or do something wrong. Rather, he was suggesting that for the sake of her health (whether that was mental, physical, or both), she be willing to be “bad” in some people’s view. She had to be willing to break the unwritten, unsigned social contract that had been put on her.

That’s good advice.

And it is a creative, counterintuitive way of expressing it.

I like it.

I am going to steal it.

 

In what way is it time for you to be a bad person?