I firmly believe that the world would be a far better place if people were a little ruder to one another. Now I’m not talking about being rude for the sake of being rude, like insulting or hurting someone with malicious intentions. I’m talking about putting yourself first for a change, which for some reason, the world has twisted around and given names like selfish, narcissistic, and of course, rude.
The fear of being rude is one of the most crippling plagues society has set upon us. How many women have helped the creepy guy put his couch in his van because they didn’t want to be rude? How many people have stayed in a toxic relationship too long because they didn’t want to hurt the other person? Well, enough is enough! It’s time you put yourself first.
Unfortunately, putting yourself first is easier said than done. That change comes from within when you fully believe that you’re worth being put first. You have to own it and own who you are from top to bottom, inside and out.
This decision is embracing your inner monster. We all have one, but from a young age we were told to gag or muzzle it and throw it in the closet with the rest of the skeletons. And where did that get me? Until I set the monster loose I kept finding myself caught up in uncomfortable, stupid, or intolerable situations. I put other people’s happiness in front of my own and I forgot how to stand up for myself. And that’s just dumb. Plain and simple.
You know those feisty comments you always think but would never dream of saying out loud? The first step to embracing your inner monster is to say them! Chances are what you have to say is on point and exactly what everyone else is thinking; only they’re still paralyzed by fear. Fill the uncomfortable silence with uncomfortable noise, at least that way something is being heard. Even if it seems trivial, telling your friends or family what they need to hear can really make a difference. From letting your roommate know that green is not their color to telling your best friend that their relationship is no longer healthy; sometimes being a good person means saying what others can’t or won’t.
So for this Halloween take the mask off for a change. If someone asks you if they can bring that smelly person who used to send you creepy texts to your costume party, it’s okay to say no. It’s your party and if that person is going to make your night any sort of bad or uncomfortable then say something. If that voice, who let’s be honest is the real monster here, tells you that that’s rude and will offend said creepy person, throw the voice in the closet and swallow the key. They’ll get over not being invited to a party they only had a mild interest in going to anyway. Own what you want and speak up for it.
Be sassy. Be lively. Be your goddamn self. At the end of the day, at the end of your life all you really have is you. So why not put yourself first? If it’s okay to be happy then I guess that means it’s okay to be rude too.
Image: Greg Westfall, flickr
