Insults

“I never forget a face, but in your case I’ll make an exception.”

“I always wanted to be like you, until I realized I should be more ambitious.”

“The woman speaks eighteen languages and can’t say no in any of them.”

She: Sir, if I were unfortunate in being married to you, I’d poison your tea.

He: Madam, if I were married to you, I’d drink it.

“Her performance in the play ran the gamut of emotions from A to B.”

“If brains were dynamite, he wouldn’t have enough to blow his nose.”

(Upon leaving a party) “I’ve had a lovely evening, but this wasn’t it.”

I’ll leave it to you to find out who spoke those words.

Have you ever felt insulted? If so, what was that experience like for you? What was your emotional reaction? What did you think and do following the insult?

Are all insult scenarios similar to one another, or can they differ? Does the impact of an insult vary from situation to situation? Does it depend on who is delivering the comment? Does it make matters worse if the comment is made in front of others? How about your social status, compared with the status of the speaker?

At a recent lunch with some old friends, I said to one of them, if he wouldn’t be offended, I’d like to treat him to his lunch. He said, simply, “I’m not easily offended.”  We’ve known each other since our first year at college. Over a period of many years, he went through some tough times, but his faith grew, anyway, and he matured. He developed this thing called humility.

Humble people are not easily offended. To the contrary, it seems pretty clear that arrogant, cocky people are easily offended. Think of a public figure – an entertainer, athlete or politician – who has expressed outrage at being insulted.

No one wants to view himself / herself as a prideful, cocky person. However, if we’re honest, we can accept that such an attitude can enter into the heart and mind of the nicest person, given the right mix of circumstances and timing. If you are easily offended, if you over-react to a perceived insult, and if that behavior has created a problem for you or others, maybe it’s time to take a close look at this problem. Do not allow shame or embarrassment to keep you from getting help, if you really need it. 

If this speaks to you, and you’d like to address it, I’d be more than glad to be of service. You can reach me at (219) 309-3928. It would be an honor to be of service.

For more thoughts click Let Go Your Ego

Thanks for reading!