I don't find that at all. If anything I'm more aware of what others think of me and more concerned that someone might have a negative opinion of me.
I think I was probably more indifferent to other people's view of me when I was a child. Children are notoriously oblivious to how people see them and casually blurt out anything that comes to mind. I'm sure I was just like that, causing offence and shock and disbelief everywhere I went.
Of course that's partly because children don't have much of a stake in their surroundings. They're not home owners worrying how the neighbours see them, or employees worrying how the boss sees them. They just do their thing in a state of blissful self-indulgence.
No, as I grow older I consider other people's reactions to what I say or do all the time. I certainly don't go blundering along upsetting everybody. Children may have the excuse of a tender age but an adult of 77 has no excuse whatever.
I watch all the politicians saying anything that occurs to them, however offensive or contemptuous or untrue and I wonder how they can bring themselves to be so recklessly outspoken. If only they could think before they speak, people might have a bit more respect for them.
As a child I was made aware of what was 'acceptable'....and I suppose that has stayed with me down the years, not rocking the social boat.
ReplyDeleteHelen: Yes, not rocking the social boat, that's the general principle.
DeleteI have a tendency to be direct. I live in a state known for its passive/aggressiveness. So...I reconciled myself to the fact that there generally is no middle ground, people like me or they don't. I don't go out of my way to offend people. I'm direct, not rude. The politicians of today in the US, some in particular, have no notion of decorum.
ReplyDeleteSandra: I find the same, people either like me or they don't. I'm an acquired taste! I prefer people who're direct and not mealy-mouthed.
DeleteI believe as I have gotten older I just don't let people get to me. I simply avoid unpleasant people. They just are not worth it. I really don't care what people think of me but I always show common courtesy & act polite regardless of their behavior Just because I don't agree with them doesn't give me the right to be unpleasant or rude. Manners & courtesy go a long way with most folks.
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