Dealing with Rude People Effectivetly

Rude behavior is not something you can avoid forever. At some point, you’re going to encounter a rude person at the store, at the park or even at a social gathering. Rude people live among us, much to our annoyance. While I cannot help you figure out why people can be so rude – I’m sure their reasons vary – I can offer you some advice for handling rude behavior that will help you enjoy your experience and take the negativity down a notch.

Ignore It

Don’t engage rude behavior. If someone is being unkind or inappropriate, do not engage them. They are looking for a reason to be even more inappropriate and out of line. Simply ignore their behavior by pretending it doesn’t bother you or matter to you in the least.

Smile and Be Polite

One of the best ways to disarm a person whose behavior is rude is to smile and behave with politeness. For example, if your sales associate is rude, simple smile and thank her for her help. Say please and thank you, and don’t let her behavior bother you. When she realizes that being rude to you is getting her nowhere, she might begin to feel embarrassed and actually treat you with respect and helpfulness far more than is required of her.

Don’t Tolerate This Behavior

If the behavior continues, be kind but firm when you say that you will not tolerate rudeness for no reason. Whether it’s a teacher at your child’s school, a parent in the pick-up line, a stranger in line at the grocery store; simply telling them that you don’t deserve their poor treatment is often enough to stop it. The key here is to keep it calm and simple. In fact, say it with a smile. A polite smile and a, “I don’t know what’s bothering you to the point that you feel the need to take it out on me, but I do not accept being the target for your negatively and I’d like you to stop.” You’d be surprised how much calling someone out in a polite manner can help a negative situation.