Everyone wants to be liked and accepted. Standing out in a crowd is terrifying, and the desire to fit in drives us to make many of the decisions we make with the way we dress and talk and live.

“Be nice,” we’re told. But no one volunteers instructions for the corresponding disposition in business and competition. I think a different set of expectations might be appropriate here.

Something I’ve noticed in business is that many CEOs and startup founders are not always “nice people.” Many are ruthless, temperamental, and downright angry. I don’t think it’s necessary to embody the extremes, but I do think a healthy dose of passion (even if it boils over at times) is alright.