The Joy Of Being Rude

No one wants to be rude or viewed as such, but what if the fear of being impolite prevents us from standing up for ourselves? Is being rude then such a bad thing?

- Stephanie Sharon Koh

We were all taught from a young age to be polite and respectful of those we engage with. Being brutally honest is often frowned upon as it seems like we’re not giving other people “face”, and we’re usually labelled “rude” for doing so. But this fear of coming across rude can stop us from calling people out even when they’re at fault, stunt our emotional development, and negatively affect our careers and relationships.

Giving “face”

It’s one thing to be inconsiderably rude and quite another to be strategically impolite. We’re not asking anyone to turn into Gordon Ramsay à la Hell’s Kitchen but holding our tongue in fear of offending others won’t do us good when we’re being belittled or taken advantage of.