Is rudeness on the increase?

[EstimatedProphet]

It seems that way...
Seems like anymore, whenever I am in a store or a business getting information from a salesperson, someone comes up and interrupts. It's like they just don't notice anyone is there. This drives me crazy. I was taught to wait your turn.
Seems like anymore, if I hold the door for someone, several other people try to go through too, and don't even acknolwedge that I am doing something nice. I don't demand it, but a simple nod of the head in recognition would be acceptable.
Seems like anymore, if I am driving, someone cuts me off without paying any attention, as if it's their road and I'm just on it by their sufferance.
I really don't think things were like this before. It really seems like rudeness is on the increase. I think we used to have a sense of community in this country, and it's gone away.
What's going on?

[swag]

1. Rudeness isn't on the increase

but rudeness has become less civilized.

[Earth_First]

2. Life would be easier if it were just one big shakedown

eh, prophet?

[EstimatedProphet]

4. That's a different album

BUT...
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart...

[Zomby Woof]

3. why the fuck do you care?

;-) :D Joke!

[EstimatedProphet]

6. Well!

You did give me a laugh there!

[maggrwaggr]

5. TV promotes and rewards rudeness

look at any "reality" show, look at American Idol, where that Simon fuckwad is now a celebrity (I even saw a book by him at Costco) for being rude to people ........

And let us not forget our favorite right-wing cable tv and radio "personalities".

[ScreamingMeemie]

7. ..and don't forget Seinfeld. I personally thought that show was horrid

because the characters were so freaking rude.

[MI Cherie]

13. Thank you!

I was beginning to think I was the only one who couldn't stand that show!

[camero]

16. Nope you're not the only one

You would think that with all the money Jerry Seinfeld made he would get a freaking NOSE job. :) lol

[Skittles]

15. they were playing CHARACTERS

they got their comeuppance

[Sentath]

30. Yes, they were CHARACTERS, so?

Its not like I hold the actions of the characters against the actors. I just never found them to have the kind of Character that I wanted to be around.

Bleh

{rlg}

P.S. To keep this marginally on topic: Yes, rudeness is on the rise. And you just might be amazed at the pleasantly surprised reactions that you can get from people by being very polite ( ;

[rwheeler31]

11. It may be

but it is ok to be nice and it will pay off.

[Skittles]

14. people find it entertaining watching people behave like assholes

it's beyond disturbing

[Cleita]

8. I really try not to be rude, but it's getting tougher every day.

[Earth_First]

9. Most progressives would be rude by definition...

however, I feel its assertiveness rather than rudeness. One must be assertive to get past the rude tendancies, or we'd get walked right on over...

[hedgetrimmer]

10. Trickle down rudeness, part of the Republican agenda. n/t

[camero]

12. Cell phones

Being on tap 24/7 gives alot of people an inflated sense of self-importance

[no_hypocrisy]

17. Yes, since 1980. I did a double-take when Reagan yelled "I paid for this

microphone!" and said to myself "here we go . . ."

I wish I were wrong. Things have continued to prove that it is now in the mainstream to be rude, crude, and mean/malevolent as a normal manner of social intercourse. No one wants to take responsibility for their mistakes; no one wants to listen or consider your point of view; no one wants to be "wrong"; and no one wants to share possessions, time, or themselves.

[Buns_of_Fire]

18. What kind of a jerkface question is that?

No, wait. I'm just kidding. :hi: Don't hurt me. :spank:....Ouch...

I was brought up in the land of "please," "thank you", "yes sir," and "yes ma'am." Holding doors for others, picking up stuff for them that they've dropped, not giving anyone a harder time than necessary, things like that -- things that became as integral to me as my DNA. It's distressing to see to see the disrespect some are intentionally willing to dish out at the drop of a hat.

I think most people inherently WANT to be nice to others. But these days, people are bombarded with images of people being jerks to each other, and being very successful at it. Nice guys just don't seem to get the press until they turn into not-so-nice guys.

Maybe it's the chickens of the "me generation" coming home to roost, maybe it's the pressure of modern living, or maybe it's the lack of role models. I tend to side with Occam's Razor: Some people are rude just because they're assholes. (In other words, it's boosh's* fault.)

[YellowRubberDuckie]

20. And to add to that,

I think it also has something to do with the fact that it's the jerks that are getting ahead in this world. What IS that?
Duckie

[Buns_of_Fire]

26. Unrestrained capitalism collided with Jesus' teachings.

Jesus lost.

Apparently, "Assertiveness Training" has morphed into "AGGRESSIVENESS Training" these days -- and some people just can't seem to tell the difference between the two. :shrug:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

19. I truly believe it's because of this ME FIRST mentality Americans have.

A lot of American's universe ends at their nose, and other people are just a bother. Like when you're walking through a supermarket or the mall, and people just randomly stop. YOU FREAK THERE ARE PEOPLE TRYING TO WALK BEHIND YOU! That pisses me off to no end. And whenever someone even my boyfriend holds the door open for me, I always say thank you. ALWAYS...and if I can't talk, I always nod or something.

And people here in oklahoma are horrible about letting people merge. Why is it necessary for you to drive in the right lane on a 10 lane highway when you're not getting off for like 6 miles? Get over and let people merge. I always drive in the fast lane because those slow fuckers always bug the crap out of me. And when someone going under the speed limit gets in the fast lane, my head explodes. I want to kill those people...

I mean, really, how hard is it to be even SOMEWHAT considerate? It'll make you feel better about yourself, and it'll help my blood pressure. Take a look around you. You're not the only idiot trying to get around. This is why stupidity should be illegal, and it should be a capitol offense.

Duckie

[Deja Q]

22. Exactly.

To some extent, it's normal human nature to worry about #1. But the repukes/neo-cons have redefined the importance of "#1" to higher, ridiculous degrees.

Let's not remember JFK's great quote "Ask not what this country can do for me, but what I can do for this country." He was absolutely right.

And you know Reagan, *, or any repuke wouldn't dare say "Ask what your country owes you". They happy paraphrase it to manipulate the populace.

[Deja Q]

21. I was shopping for groceries last night, 11PM...

Two young parents had a 5 year old boy, who was happily yelling out to anybody who'd hear him (which means nobody).

11PM. Uh, shouldn't the kid be SLEEPING for his health's sake?

Why did BOTH parents need to go grocery shopping?

When you make a kid, that kid becomes your life. Not the other way around.

I feel sorry for the kid.

A week ago, a SUV drove off the road and flipped upside down. Drivers in the middle lane refused to let people from the right lane over. Even one bitch looked at me and shook her head. I was royally pissed at how uncivilized people are...

I see people in an unemployment office looking for jobs frustrated and act rude toward others.

I see employees who have a lot of work to do not liking the idea of having to do more.

Simply put - ALL of these issues revolve around money in some form.

Remember, this is America. We're not a community. We're 280,000,000 INDIVIDUALS. I don't know if America ever fostered a sense or semblence of "community", but the neo-cons (starting with Reagan) definitely made sure that the idea of community, helping, and sharing went the way of the dodo.

[JM]

23. I would say yes...

...because people are getting pissed off at other people being rude to them.

On the flip side, rudeness is so commonplace now that being nice the first time actually can get results.

1) This was a long time ago, but I had a customer that immediately started in on me. "Get me that" etc...Then this little girl walked up to me and said "excuse me sir, but could you please reach that for me?" I got her the item, then saw her walk over and place it Mrs. Rude's basket. I walked up to the bitch and politely asked her if the little girl was her daughter. She promptly snarled at me saying "Yes. What of it?" I told the bitch the daughter was wonderfully polite, and followed it up by telling her she could learn a thing or two from her daughter.

2) I recently discovered I had been massively over-billed by two different companies. Rather than sending a heated nastigram or calling and launching into asshole mode, I calmly explained the situation, asked for their help, and thanked them in advance. I got results immediately and followed up with a thank you reply.

3) I have a customer that emailed us to thank us for helping her so quickly. She doesn't realize we move her ahead of other customers like the ones who email us to tell us there is a misspelling and we have to fix it immediately.

I don't mind the increase in rudeness, because I know i will shock people into doing what I need most of the time by being nice.

Later,
JM

[nuxvomica]

28. LOL. In the land of the rude, the nominally polite man is king!

It's so easy to be polite and people are so starved for being treated with respect that nine out of ten times, being the nice guy gets you pretty far.

[NicoleM]

24. Not where I live.

"Minnesota Nice" is for real.

[northzax]

25. yes, and I trace it to two things

the first is the decline of the carrying of firearms by all people. you be rude to someone packing heat.

The second is the decline in the popularity of the duel as a way of resolving situations of honor. If I could slap someone in the face with my glove and meet them for pistols at dawn, I bet they'll be more polite.

but maybe that's just me.

[name not needed]

27. fuck you

:)

[fishnfla]

29. as someone who has been on both sides of the counter

I would say that yes, rudeness is on the rise.

[Liberal Christian]

31. Sure, rudeness is on the rise.

Even in the stories I read about how rude people are in this thread, they're referred to as "bitch" or some other epithet that would never have been considered to be part of polite public discourse even fifteen or twenty years.

Rudeness is on the rise when Sam tells Judy that her ideas or things that interest or excite her are stupid, just because they're not Sam's cup of tea.

Rudeness is on the rise when every other word contains some form of the word "f**k" or one of its companions, and the person using that language doesn't even bother to consider whether the person in front of him or her is offended by that language. It's further on the rise when the user of bad language thinks the other person is wrong for being offended.

Rudeness is on the rise every time a person is more concerned about his or her "right to be myself and say or do whatever I want to," than about the effect that might have on those around them.

Rudeness is on the rise everytime someone else thinks he or she is more important or more entitled than anyone else.

DU is not immune.