7 Reasons Why Pulling Others Down Hurts You in the End

(1) You destroy your reputation. Your name is one of the most important possessions you have—so much so that sages, both ancient and contemporary, agree that it is worth more than silver and gold. When you pull others down, it depreciates it, but when you lift others up, it appreciates you.

(2) You hurt potential allies. Regard everyone you meet as a potential ally, and you are likely to make friends; regard everyone you meet as an enemy, and you are likely to make more enemies. Everyone you pull down becomes an adversary, whereas everyone you lift up becomes a friend; therefore, you shoot yourself in the foot when you harm others.

(3) You put yourself in unnecessary danger. When you pull anyone down, you create an unnecessary enemy. You then have to watch your back more vigilantly, as you don’t know what that person, or who they know, might do in retaliation.

(4) You attract bad karma. We get what we give. If you pour good out into the world, good will be poured back into you. Putting others down is, therefore, self-defeating, while lifting others up is self-emancipating.

(5) Those who might have helped you lose trust in you. When others see you treat someone badly, they may say to themselves, “If he could do that to him, he could do that to me.” Trust is very important; without it, relationships cannot flourish, and without relationships, a person cannot flourish.

(6) You pour more negativity into a world already filled with it. If you try to hinder those trying to better themselves, you deprive the world of good and, instead, exacerbate the bad that already exists in it. Every good deed you do for someone else uplifts the world; every bad deed drags it backward.

(7) It keeps you away from achieving your highest potential. Time you spend pulling down others takes away from time you should spend pulling yourself up. You have been given enough time in each day to achieve your highest potential, not tear anyone down.