Tips for Dealing with Rude People

There's always at least one in every crowd or setting. You know who I'm talking about, the consistently rude person whom it seems has the manners of a bull in a china closet, the one who can't say anything tactfully or politely, the one who always has to be "first in line", you get the idea. How does one deal with rude people without being rude themselves? That's a tough question, but it's not as difficult as you might think!

Remembering that often, those who are rude don't realize just how rude they really are, can go a long way towards having the patience and will to deal with them. Often, either rude people truly don't realize they are being rude, or don't realize just how rude they really are. Whether it's a personality issue or perhaps something in the way they were raised... Who knows? Remembering that they may not realize that they are being rude, helps to have the patience to deal with them and their rudeness.If worst comes to worst, and you just can't find the patience to deal with rude people directly, maintaining a polite distance or avoiding them entirely (if feasible!) is always a good option. I find that there is that occasional person whom I just CAN NOT have patience with or maintain politeness with, in that situation, I've discovered that the best way to deal with them, is to just avoid them if possible. Sometimes this isn't possible, in which case, counting to ten a gazillion times and taking lost of deep breaths can help immensely! It'll at least help keep you from wanting to poke your own eyes out with a dull pencil or from pulling your hair out.

Confronting a person on their rudeness will NEVER work. If you "call them out" on their rudeness, often, they'll either maintain a level of cluelessness that hasn't been seen on anyone besides Britney Spears, OR, their rudeness will just escalate, as they will percieve that YOU are the rude one! Just "politely ignore" their rudeness, put it out of your mind as much as possible, and move on. Some people are just flat out RUDE, and there is NO dealing with those who are truly rude to the core or who have no idea under the sun that they are being rude, and, here's another tip... they don't WANT to get the idea that they're rude either!

If all else fails, tune the rude person out completely! I know, I know, that's easier said than done, but an IPOD or Walkman (Wow, do they even still sell those?) can go a long way towards helping you ignore a rude person! Just point, gesture, and wave your arms wildly in the universal signs that we all know means "I can't hear you!". If you don't have the option or luxury of using this method to dealing with a rude person, just telling them to leave you ALONE can often work wonders. They may feign confusion or disbelief that you'd talk to them "that" way, but, then they can go on about their business and find someone else to be rude to. Some people just can't be dealt with!