To some extent, what makes a behavior “rude” can be a bit subjective.
What bothers or offends one person could go unnoticed by another, but most of us just get that awkward feeling when something that’s been said or done feels off.
This post, though, is about those moments that occur even when the action or words in question aren’t rude at all – strange, right?
15. Only in the Midwest.
Passing people who are walking really slowly.
“Ope sorry, just going to squeeze by. Sorry. Sorry about that.”
14. Being an introvert is not a crime.
Leaving a party/function early, or even at a reasonable hour.
A lot of people take offense if you leave before the end and it’s a drag.
13. Oh, sweet summer child.
Calling out of work when I am sick.
Most act like I’m faking it so makes me feel bad whenever I need to due to medical issues.
12. This modern world has downsides.
Not being available 24/7 despite being reachable 24/7.
11. You have to learn how to do it.
Saying no to anything.
10. It’s not because you don’t want to. All the time.
Not being able to do favors for someone when asked
9. Just say thank you.
East Asian here.
The act of “pretending to turn gifts down and the giver insisting and going back and forth for a 3 f*cking hours and eventually accepting the gift anyway”
Just f*cking irritates me to no end.
8. This is so hard to do.
Asking for money that is owed to you.
It seems awkward and rude but it really isn’t, or at least shouldn’t be.
7. Only if it’s the first time, though.
Correcting someone if they mispronounce my name.
6. You just want to leave.
Ending a conversation with someone who is legit trying to commandeer your time.
5. Your real friends will understand.
Not hanging out with people because you are tired.
4. Being honest.
Actually telling somebody what you think about their abilities. There’s a way to do it without being rude.
I spent 2 years studying a craft in a very competitive field and toward the end of the 1st year I started to fall behind and my instructor started to give me polite responses instead of actual feedback. So I followed him to his office one day and said I feel like I’m getting shrugged off, I know I’m not going as well as others but lay it on me.
He didn’t want to because these are peoples life-long dreams and its hard to crush people’s spirits. But he laid it all on the line, said I’m going hang on for a while and fizzle out within a couple of years. I asked for specifics, he hit back even harder. I didn’t take it hard and in fact I was excited because I was going to fail anyway before he was brutally honest but now I had specifics to work on and improve on!
A couple years later we were talking and he said “you know I was wrong about you” and I got to say “no you were so right. and if you hadn’t told me all of that, I wouldn’t have worked on it”. Because of his honesty I had two choices that were better than the path I was on. Either find something else to do with my life, or hone in on my shortcomings and work tirelessly on them and if it hasn’t gotten better a year from now then I can find something else to do with my life. I got better over that year and now work in the field I’d started my studies in. That definitely wouldn’t have been the case if that instructor had kept being polite and never gave it to me straight.
You gotta be honest with people you know. Not in a mean way, not fully unsolicited. But if you’re not honest with something people are trying to get good at or pursue a career in, you’re setting them up for failure by not pointing out weaknesses they can fix or by accidentally encouraging them to go down a path that leads to a dead end.
3. Why is this so hard?
Telling people what you want as far as your boundaries.
“I don’t like being touched. Please don’t touch me.”
“I prefer not to text a lot during work hours.”
“I don’t like making last minute plans. Next time please let’s set up plans ahead of time.”
“I don’t think we really click. I don’t think this is working.”
But standing up for your boundaries encourages people to stand up for theirs, too.
2. I’m cringing right now.
When you’re at a craft fair or farmer’s market or some other outdoor event where people have a bunch of tables set up to sell their wares, go up to a table to check out what they’re selling, and walk away.
Either you don’t like what they have, or they’re selling their nice soaps for waaaay too much money.
They are looking at you this whole time with this happy, expectant look on their face, like “This is it, I’m going to get a sale!” Or worse, when you ask them what they’re all about, and they go into this long pitch about their thing, only for you to realize that you’re not interested.
I always feel like a complete a$shole for going, “Yeah. Well, okay. Bye!”
1. Unless it’s your spouse.
Actually, i am not in the mood of talking right now.
I totally agree with these, and I honestly hate these scenarios!
Is there one you would add to the list? Share with us in the comments.
