People Who Don't Understand Why Hardly Anyone Likes Them Often Say 9 Phrases That Come Off As Rude
fizkes | Shutterstock It’s hard to understand why, but some people really are rude on purpose. Others come off that way without realizing it.
These people are obviously lacking in self-awareness and social skills. It’s why pretty much no one likes being around them, especially when they are careless and cruel with their words.
9 kinda rude phrases often said by people who don’t understand why no one likes them:
1. ‘It’s not a big deal’
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It’s rarely helpful to tell someone the thing they’re worried about isn’t a big deal. Instead of calming them down, it makes them feel like they overreacted and annoyed everyone.
Invalidating someone’s emotions is one of the rudest things a person can do, but people often do it without realizing it. Phrases like this seem harmless enough that the speaker thinks they’re doing someone a favor.
Really, they’re just giving off negative energy and showing that they aren’t a safe person to open up to. There’s nothing more unlikable than that.
2. ‘I’m sorry you feel that way’
Just because someone says sorry doesn’t mean they’re offering a real apology. In this case, they’re apologizing for the other person’s feelings. It sends the message that they think they’re wrong, and they feel bad for them because of that.
When people take responsibility for their actions, it actually gives them a greater feeling of control. That means a genuine apology would help both people. Instead, this person is putting the blame on the other person for their own bad behavior.
3. ‘Don’t be so sensitive’
In our world, people treat sensitivity like it’s a bad thing even though it comes with real benefits.
When someone is accused of being too sensitive, it says much more about the other person than it does about them. Chances are they really did say or do something hurtful that deserved that kind of reaction, but they weren’t ready for it.
Sensitivity is a personality trait, not something that people can snap out of. There’s no reason to add insult to injury by hurting someone’s feelings and attacking their response, but that’s what rude people do.
4. ‘You wouldn’t understand’
Maybe someone thinks “you wouldn’t understand” is a nice thing to say because it’s like they’re letting the other person off the hook. In reality, the other person feels their intelligence is being questioned.
Some people think they know absolutely everything, and they believe that makes them better than everyone else. It’s seriously cringeworthy when that’s obviously not the case, but there’s really no way to argue with a know-it-all.
Not everyone who overestimates their own intelligence is rude, but there's no other way to describe people who also make others feel bad for their supposed lack of knowledge.
5. ‘I didn’t ask you’
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People have a way of offering their opinion even when they really shouldn’t. There are much nicer ways to decline unsolicited advice, though.
This is nothing more than dismissive behavior that makes other people feel like they don’t matter. Being annoyed isn’t an excuse for treating someone that way.
This phrase is such an obvious way to push people away that it’s not hard to see why the one who says it wouldn’t be well liked.
6. ‘Everyone knows that’
Some of the rudest people live for making everyone else feel small. They’ll use someone joining a conversation with their own input as an opportunity to make them feel dumb.
According to psychotherapist Oona Metz, LICSW, this is a hallmark of a condescending person. They build themselves up by putting others down. Instead of agreeing with what someone else says, they make it sound like they’ve never had an original thought in their life.
On top of not being liked by anyone, this person is also wrong. Unless someone said something as basic as “the sky is blue,” there’s little chance that everyone really does know that.
7. ‘I’m just being honest’
Honesty is a good thing, which can make the way this phrase stings feel particularly confusing. But if someone feels the need to justify their words like this, it’s pretty clear that they know they said something hurtful.
The world could use some more authenticity. Unfortunately, some people use that as an excuse to be so brutally honest that they’re downright mean. That’s not the kind of person everyone else will enjoy hanging out with.
8. ‘I wouldn’t have done that’
Even if this statement is 100% true, that doesn’t mean it’s appropriate. When someone says they would have approached a situation differently, it sounds like they don’t approve of the other person’s actions.
Really, people like this have a superiority complex that makes them feel like they have to look better than everyone else. They can’t help but point out how they would have done something more effectively in the rudest way possible.
9. ‘Can you hurry up?’
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There are countless situations where someone could ask another person to hurry up, and none of them are going to sound very nice. Asking someone to hurry up makes it clear whose time is the most valuable.
Rushing is how people end up feeling stressed and making mistakes. No one should think that’s their only option because a rude person doesn’t know how to be patient. Those people are going to have a hard time keeping any friends.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
