Have you ever been in a situation where someone acted inappropriately? Like when someone yells at a cashier or stands too closely while talking to you? It turns out that not everyone knows those things that a person ought to know about social interaction.
Take, for example, the guy who insists on a high-five for every point of agreement in a discussion. Or the lady who, in the course of everyday conversation shares way too much information regarding her body's, um, rhythms. These people make us uncomfortable. They are blissfully unaware of how awkward they make things.
What if you're one of those people. What if I am? Have you ever stopped to think that maybe your bad breath or mispronunciation of common words or the way you rap your fingers on the tabletop might be agitating to the people around you?
If you're not sure, here are some tips:
Watch for subtle cues. If the person you're talking to backs away, raises his voice, or offers you a breath mint, take the hint (and the mint).
Keep in mind that people usually act the way they want you to act around them. Try to lower your voice around quiet talkers, avoid slang with foreigners, and shake dead-fish hands more gently.
If there's a sudden change in the "feel" of the room- if everyone suddenly gets quite, starts ignoring you, or gets up and leaves, it's safe to assume that whatever you last did was the cause of that. Take it personally, apologize profusely, and never do it again.
Don't ever sit people down and ask if you have offended them. If you have to ask, you probably did.
Yeah...I had a great friend tell me that I need to learn this and he was right.
Posted by: The Minstrel | January 03, 2009 at 06:06 PM