Saturday, November 04, 2006

Hmmm....

There are a few blogs I read on a relatively regular basis. All are writing related. All are because I have learned (and hope to continue learning) about my craft. I comment on a pretty regular basis. I've gotten into arguments with other commenters. Some people agree with me. Some don't. That's cool. To each his own.

But there is one thing I just don't get.

Nowadays, people seem to confuse the words honesty and rudeness.

Let me clear that up.

Honesty is a form of the word honest.

Honest: adj. 1. truthful, trustworthy. 2. (of an act or feeling) showing such qualities.

Rudeness is a form of the word rude.

Rude: adj. 1. impolite, showing no respect or consideration

(definitions courtesy of Oxford American Dictionary- Heald Colleges Edition, 1986 Avon Books)

Now, it seems to me that lately, people think they can say what they want, when they want, and how they want and if they just happen to be snotty and/or flat out rude, that's ok because they are being honest.

Bull%^&*.

I'm all for free speech, believe me. But that doesn't mean I have to like what you say. And prefacing your rudeness by saying, 'I'm just being honest' is a load of crap. It isn't like a free pass. Nice doesn't equal dishonesty and rude definitely doesn't equal honest. You can be honest without being rude. Really. It's not at all difficult. Start out small, say thank you and work your way up. Trust me, you won't explode or spontaneously combust. Really.

But, if that's too much and a person knows no other way to be honest than to be rude, keep it up. Enjoy yourself. But when someone calls you on it, don't turn the blame back on them - 'oh, you can't handle it when someone's honest.' I can handle honest just fine. I can handle rude. Believe me, I handle rude very well because I'm faced with it most days from a surly cashier who can't believe they're expected to actually earn their paycheck to the telemarketer who can't believe I don't want to buy a subscription to a newspaper I already have a subscription to (and especially when they've called just as I'm sitting down to dinner). But I can't stand rude. I think it's pretty sad that nowadays rudeness is tolerated because it's honesty. Huh? In what dictionary is that found? Where is it written: Rude: adj. see HONEST??? Someone show me that page and I'll shut up.

Until then, you're rude. Plain and simple.

Now, maybe someone will see this and think it's rude. Maybe it is. I hope not because I try my damndest to teach my kids to be polite and it's getting harder and harder when I am the exception instead of the norm. And that just saddens me to no end. Nowadays, if you are polite, you must be an imbecile or a wimp or have no backbone. But if you're rude, that's ok. That also saddens me.

That's honesty.

4 comments:

Michael Patrick Leahy said...

Kim,


Your comments speak to the general coarsening of our society.

To my mind, this coarsening has its roots in the ascendance of secular progressivism and the decline of academic rigor.

One antidote to consider is the adoption of a "Classical Education" model, or more specifically a "Classical Christian Education" model.

I imagine it could also work as a "Classical Judaic Education" model, but I am to date unfamiliar with any examples of the latter.

Mindy Tarquini said...

This is very funny.

Kim said...

TO quote Joe Pesci -

Funny ha ha or funny weird?

Anonymous said...

Love it. No translation needed.