Dealing with people in the public realm can be a challenge. Each
day, it's possible to run into people who are rude, critical, or
downright mean. Your natural inclination may be to be rude and
nasty right back. But, if you have let yourself mirror their
behavior before, you know that you don't feel good about
yourself when the day is done.
It's much better to not take it personally. To do that, use
empathy and reason. Reason tells you that this person doesn't
know you, so it's definitely not personal. Empathy tells you
that such a person's lack of civility could be because his or
her life's experiences have hurt them deeply.
I know of two groups of this type of abusive people. Here's how
I understand them: There's one group who lives life in "fight
mode." From their life's experiences, it's what they use as
protection against the world. They want to appear big and
strong. They want to hurt you before you hurt them. It may be
hard for you and me to understand, but the other group of mean
people "choose" to be that way. These people, too, are hurting,
and their life's experiences have somehow made them "want" to be
mean.
If you are motivated to be successful with your personal
development, treat all people with kindness, gentleness and
civility no matter how disagreeable they are. Don't take it
personally. You never know what a difference you could make in
their lives if you treat them with care. It could cause them to
look inward. That's a great gift to give someone, you know?
Looking inward is the starting point of a whole new world!
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