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Sometimes being "kind"

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Rambling

Rambling Report 8 Jan 2020 20:42

just lets someone get away with being an appalling person.

So do you tell them straight, (even though you do as a rule try to be kind to everyone if you possibly can be) even though they may be old and rather 'set in their ways', or young and naive, or just 'misled' by the things they have always been told?

For eg, if someone you know is generally pleasant, 'hail fellow well met' as they used to say, but turns round and stuns you with "Hitler had the right idea" or some other racist/homophobic nonsense from the lower depths of the internet, or just makes generalisations which you know to be unfair ( stereotypes for instance).

What do you do? Walk away? Is it 'kinder ' to do so or 'kinder' to tell them that they are a numbskull lol?

LaGooner

LaGooner Report 8 Jan 2020 20:46

Say it as it is every time for me Rose

AnninGlos

AnninGlos Report 8 Jan 2020 22:03

Say it like it is and being hurtful in the process can sometimes make us the same as them. If we need to tell them how wrong they are we can do so in a way that is not hurtful surely. Being blunt is not always the answer in my opinion.

JoyLouise

JoyLouise Report 8 Jan 2020 22:30

I don't think there can be a one-size-fits-all 'say it like it is' because people see things differently depending on their perspective on life. They ought to be saying 'say it like I see it', which is much more honest.

In this particular case I think I would say 'that's how you think it is but it's not how I think it is', and leave it at that.

They may argue but I believe that I would have got my point across without causing offence or being hurtful.

If they disagreed, then so be it. It is only their point of view, not mine.

Dermot

Dermot Report 9 Jan 2020 07:32

Every word will amuse or offend some esoteric reader/listener.

Turn a blind ear to insults.