The Subtle Art of Dealing With Rude People
Ways to set healthy boundaries.
If you’ve ever been at the grocery store on a Saturday morning, you have probably noticed not only how a place like that can get crowded between nine and noon, but also how tension can easily arise and how rudeness starts spreading.
Picture this: a lady wants to grab a box of cereals for her kids, but there’s a guy in front of the shelf looking at the same box of cereal she wants. So the lady gets impatient and just grabs a box of the cereal, while at the same time stepping into this guy’s personal bubble — and on his feet.
The guy is clearly bothered, but he doesn’t say anything to avoid conflict. He then goes to the fresh produce aisle. While he’s picking some red bell peppers, an impatient lady pushes his cart aside with hers, as if he’s in her way. Again, he doesn’t say anything.
He heads to the counter to pay, but right before he can get there, a young lady pushes in front of him to get served first. The guy explodes. “Seriously? I’m sorry, but there’s a line, I was first.” And he starts to put his things on the counter.
She replies, raising her voice, “Don’t even think about it. I was first.” And they start arguing.
