Blood? Sure, walking all over me is a sign of love. Unrelated stranger? Don’t push your luck, know your place and how to behave. What?!
Sadly, it’s become all too common, all the while under the radar. Do you know the person well? Are they a loved one? Well then it’s okay, there are different limitations and they probably just feel very relaxed around you, don’t overthink it. Whereas strangers? There’s a universally understood rulebook in what’s acceptable and what isn’t. Greetings, exchanging pleasantries, positive body language; the boundaries are nonnegotiable. You give the benefit of the doubt far less to outsiders, you start as you mean to go on as they say. So why as we go on, do we unconsciously apply blinkers?
Often, the people that cause the most extreme emotional reactions – whether that’s pain or happiness, are the people closest to us. Why do we give them more leeway then? The damage caused can far outweigh a rude passive fleeting experience that we all know too well. P.S, it’s simple etiquette to observe acts of kindness, the door didn’t open itself, I opened it to make your life easier. Overlooking details and behaviours like that, leaves a lasting impression, not a good one at that!
I sometimes think we opt not to hold loved ones accountable due to the potential fear of rejection or lack of interest, care and understanding. It’s far easier to overlook disrespect than meet it head on, no one appreciates their feelings being disregarded, it can feel as though the power inadvertently is in their hands as to what happens next. So why raise it in the first place if its dependent on their perception? If you feel insulted, you’re insulted. It’s about listening, accepting and not invalidating another human being.
Should you bite your tongue around your own circle? Your closest confidants? No. There are lines in any relationship, don’t blur them to test where they really lie.
Don’t accept disrespect from anyone, most of all the people you trust with your life. The route that may lead to could be worse than forever being strangers.
What do you think? Is it harder holding loved ones accountable than strangers? Why do we expect more from strangers? Disrespect may vary in appearances or delivery, how do you process it? Comment below!
Beauty File 
I know what you mean and I agree that it’s harder to push back on disrespect from those closest to you. I find that often they actually can’t take the push back.
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Do we give those close to us more leeway? Hmmm. Most arguments are in the family and they are not just differences of opinion. Perhaps we can say that the principle of treating those close with respect is founded on knowledge,. when we have assessed them and brought them ‘inside’. If they are a PITA then we stop being friends.
And the others, who are ‘outside’ – maybe we can just give them the benefit of the doubt – and often it is easy because we don’t care ‘that much’ what they do or what they say,
How does that sound?
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I mostly ignore rudeness from strangers. Often it’s best to walk away and not engage in whatever issues they have going on – I’m not their therapist! And I hold healthy boundaries with my family. A few mistakes here and there are easy to forgive. If it’s an ongoing rudeness, I see if we can work it out. Interesting post! Really makes you think.
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my dad was/is still…I’ll never forget explaining to my mom and him that I’d just finished an ironman race, what it involved, and the first words out of my dad’s mouth, ‘you didn’t do that.’…….I just ignore stuff like that and move on, it still bugs me, but life’s too short to worry about what anyone else thinks…..the trick I think is to have enough around you that do give you that occasional thumbs up and a well done, or good for you…..
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This hit too hard! My thoughts are that people are so brainwashed to believe that your family/your tribe are the only ones who will be there for you no matter what, but that’s such an old way of thinking? So antiquated. I can find new people, and better people to be around in the good times and bad. The new people in my life don’t make me want to throw wine at their face, and I can’t say the same about most of my family lol.
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Worth introspection
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incoherence in the acts and words (bandit conduct); integrity always is an example.
Narcisist show triumphalism outside, but cruelty against their closest ones.
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