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business even if it comes with good intentions. Often a stern look or terse angry comment from a stranger will be a great wake up call for a rude person. If the rude person is foreign, you might want to investigate whether their action would be considered rude in their country of origin. Follow this with a culture lesson for your own country or region.

There will be times when you will be the unfortunate victim of rude treatment. Your reaction will vary depending on the level of rudeness received and circumstances surrounding the inappropriate behavior. If someone knocks you down while they are running from a burning building, they were rude, but most would consider it justified. If someone steps ahead of you at the crowded fast food restaurant, it could be a rude act, or it could be a simple misunderstanding. Try not to be too quick to pull the trigger on a reprimand. If someone just steps up and calls you fat or ugly or skinny just to be mean, you have a perfect right to set them straight. Use some caution here not to descend to their level when doing so. Often a minor infraction should be met by simply ignoring it and moving on.

I always recommend taking the high road in these situations. Let the person know that you believe his or her action or words to be unacceptably rude without being rude in return. It can just start a vicious cycle. Try not to punish the next person for the last person's rudeness. Give each one a clean slate. If you do take the opportunity to challenge rude behavior, be prepared to explain why the rude behavior was wrong and how the person should have acted or spoken.

You can not beat rude by becoming rude. Be an example of how people should behave when they are not rude. By thinking before speaking or acting, you can avoid becoming the person you do not like.

Learn more about this author, Allen Teal.
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