Comfortable Being Mean?

It is unfortunate people have become so comfortable being mean, it seems it’s a lot easier to be mean than to be nice. People take liberty to say what they mean fair, but don’t say it mean.

A very common trait is telling the other, what they do wrong but are hesitant to compliment when the same person does many things right, now isn’t that being mean. Each one needs to take a self-test to identify if you like yourself or not, if not you are most likely going to be mean to others. It seems people cope with negative views of themselves by perceiving other people as having particularly high levels of that same negative view. If you are feeling dishonest, you are then more likely to see other people as dishonest. This makes you, in a sense, feel more honest yourself.

We all seem to have the skills to more likely notice and focus on the person who cut us off in traffic rather than the person who let us merge. Other people's “meanness” impacts us more than it really needs to. Although some of the time meanness is physical, most of the time it is psychological. Meanness is a social problem. It’s a factor in domestic abuse, bosses or supervisors who mistreat their subordinates, schoolyard bullies, children and adults who mistreat or torture animals and sadly a common characteristic of those elderly people who no longer can repress their unhappiness, regrets, and unresolved issues.

Circumstances do cause meanness but even under the right circumstances, most people just can be mean. Most common reason for one engaging in mean or rude behavior is insecurity and fear. People are often rude after being on the receiving end of rudeness.

Meanness most often causes emotional distress, feelings of betrayal and self-doubt. It is easy to notice mean people as their behavior is often particularly offensive and hurtful, now if you can recognize the meanness coming your way from others, protect yourself from the psychological impact of meanness. Diffuse the impact on you as the less you personalize the meanness less it has the impact on you. Being mean can create bad relationships and that could create bad mental and physical health.

There is another aspect to meanness why people indulge doing so and quite visible these days is because it gets rewarded. Sometimes the reward can be tangible such as a ruthless businessman being rewarded by making more money, or an obnoxious co-worker getting a promotion.

Researchers have found that common negative behaviors just like the common cold, can spread easily and have significant consequences.” in other words… Rude is contagious! Sometimes mean people want others to feel bad so they can feel better. “Misery loves company".

Being mean is a weak person’s imitation of strength. Overcome your meanness and do not let mean people bring down your success and your happy life down. Stay connected with almighty, your Spiritual practice will help you to shrink obstacles that seem insurmountable into something approaching a manageable size.