Five Ways to Respond to Rude Comments
No one can reject you without your permission
We all want to be more connected; genetically we are programmed to seek connection because in our more primitive forms we needed our tribe or group for survival.
Rejection meant being shunned, banned, or excommunicated. This type of punishment was worse than death.
Our bodies are still programmed to respond to rejection negatively, even though we don’t require our peers’ help with basic needs like food, water, or shelter and security anymore.
That explains why we feel our adrenaline spiking when we face rejection. Our hearts beat faster, and we feel our pulse quickening. In those moments, it’s easy to blurt something back that we don’t mean. Many fights begin in this biological, “fight or flight” mode. But what if there are more than just those two options?
Empowering Yourself
In a TedTalk about facing rejection, Marisa Peer, an award-winning therapist, gives a variety of scenarios. From a family member telling you not to wear a particular style again, or a co-worker telling you your speech was awful, there are countless scenarios where people offer us feedback that we don’t want to hear. Whether its constructive criticism or downright rude, we can use the following…
