Rude Strangers

Since this post is about rude strangers and rude people in general, I figured this is as good of a time as any to fill up this post with as many Mean Girls gifs as possible.

Rude strangers have very recently came into my mind. I'm sure many people have had experiences with people they've never met before making mean or rude comments. Less than a week ago, someone flipped me of and, as much as I hate to admit it, it hurt more than I would like to admit.

Throughout the rest of the day, I kept replaying the incident again and again. I kept wondering what I did wrong and whether the stranger's actions were justified.

I guess I should start by explaining what happened. So, in the middle of a super relaxed trivia game, I noticed this guy in front of me looking at the answers on his phone. I noticed that he was sitting by himself and figured that striking up a conversation with him couldn't hurt so I decided that a joke would make the tone lighter. So then I smiled and said, "If you have the answers, would you mind sharing?"

Needless to say, he flipped me off while never looking me in the eye.

Maybe it was my fault. I guess I shouldn't have taken it upon myself to try to make someone else feel less lonely.

I guess I don't blame that stranger for what they did because, for all I know, they could have been having a bad day and I guess that not everyone shares the same sense of humor as me. But it really stinks because I was having a really really great day. Everything was going really well, and then this single event in the course of two seconds ruined what could have been a much better day as opposed to one where my mind was consumed by this incident.

But I have determined that rude strangers that act out without a reason should NOT ruin your day. If someone comes up to you and makes a rude comment or action, that should NEVER hurt someone who did nothing wrong.

I also came up with some ways to avoid feeling bad about the actions of rude strangers:

     1) Ignore: Sometimes disregarding the entire situation is probably for the best. This is what I did when the guy flipped me off. Becoming the bad guy is not the right impression to make. Don't fuel a fire when you do not have to.

     2) Defend yourself: Ignore the "ignore" advice above if the situation calls for it. Sometimes, you have to defend your honor and stand out for yourself against offensive or demeaning remarks. If the comment hurts anyone else or is derogatory in any form, defending yourself and others is completely justified. Don't let someone treat you poorly; no one deserves that.

     3) Don't beat yourself up: If it's not your fault, it shouldn't affect you. As much as it might hurt, it shouldn't constantly bug you.

Comment letting me know your opinions, views and/or experiences with rude strangers.