Helping people

Sometimes I think I'm too nice to people. Especially to strangers.

I do things like let people into traffic. And once they're in front of me, they drive 10mph below the speed limit. So I get punished for being nice.

Yesterday, I was helping a stranger with a website plugin that I had figured out, and gotten to work on my site. He was having trouble, so I offered to help.

Multiple emails, screenshots, and written instructions later, I stop hearing from him. This morning I check his site... And miraculously it's fixed. I know it's fixed because of me.

Do I get a thank-you email? A mention on the site? A comment on my site? No. Nada. Nyet.

I do this in every area of my life. Work, friends, family. With some people, even though they never reciprocate or are even nice about it, I still give and give way longer than anyone else would.

Do you think people outside of your 'inner circle' are just not worth helping? When and where do you draw the line and just take the attitude that you should help yourself and not them?