Good one and one I suffer from. Reminds me of the adage “no good deeds go unpunished.” How you form a “backbone” could be a helpful follow up article. As a parent, as a boss, and now as a tutor this “being nice” or giving people the benefit-of-doubt has often time come back to haunt me. I’ve found first impressions are most often accurate. Give a inch, they take a mile—unfortunately, Being firm with people at the outset may garner respect and obedience but for me its hard to do.