How to Call People on Their BS — Nicely
You don’t have to put up with backhanded compliments or disrespect
Have you ever received a backhanded compliment and not known how to react? Or has your date been late one too many times and you’re starting to feel like maybe they don’t respect you?
Both of these things have happened to me before, many times. And for a while, I just put up with it. I thought it was the price of doing business. Nobody is perfect, I would tell myself every time I’d get an insult veiled as a compliment, or my date disrespected my time again. This is just the way it is.
But it’s not. Respect should be our default. And we shouldn’t have to put up with people who don’t treat us well or respect us. Here’s how I’ve learned to call people on their bullshit without making a scene, and make them think twice about their words.
Put the shoe on the other foot
This one is a classic. The ole, “How would you feel if someone did this same thing to you?”
This is a great one to use, because it requires the other person to empathize with you. Or at least attempt to do so. And if they can’t put themselves in your shoes or imagine how you feel, it’s worth noting. I’d even call that a red flag.
