It's not about being the "bad boy" or the "nice guy." It's about being yourself and speaking your mind whenever and wherever you are. Granted, you've got to calibrate it so it's palatable to who you're around though. Not everybody's going to like you...boo hoo, get used to it. There are a lot of people that are just *******s. There are also a lot of good people out there. But most of all, people are scared. That's right, downright terrified. Of life, of love...of damn near everything. Be different. Grab the bull by the horns. Live free or die.
If you try to be somebody you're not, it's going to show. You should be preparing yourself to deal with life. Life throws you curve balls, and you have to know how to think on your feet. And most of all, remember that nothing is really "good" or "bad." It simply IS. It is what it is. Learn to love the thrill of success and the agony of defeat. At the risk of sounding like my grandfather, it builds character. If you adopt this philosophy then you'll still be able to pick up the pieces and move on when something terrible happens.
