13 Signs People Think You're Rude and You Don't Know It Best Life
We all like to think highly of ourselves: we're kind, we're friendly, people like to be around us. But as much as we'd love for that to be true, it may not really be the case—and we might not even realize it. The people in your life could actually think you're mean, rude, and terrible to spend time with. If they don't tell you that, however, how are you supposed to know? Being surrounded by rudeness can cause undue stress, anxiety, and discomfort in others. Whether it's a simple sigh, or people leaving when you enter a room, these are some of the telltale signs that your boorish behavior is turning people off.
If you notice that people have a tendency to leave the room when you enter, it could be because they are actively avoiding the stressful situation of interacting with someone rude (that means you). After all, removing stressors from your life can release tension, eliminate the need for bad coping mechanisms, and improve physical and emotional symptoms—so who can blame them, really?
Are you worried others may perceive you as rude? Florida-based licensed psychologist Jamie Long says that if you want to know for sure, you should walk into a room and pay attention to how the environment changes. It's possible people might not like you "if you enter a room of laughing and smiling individuals who suddenly become quiet soon after you enter or start talking. This is because your energy is incongruent with positive vibes your friends were just enjoying."
An easy way to tell if someone's turned off by your rudeness? Look into their eyes. Brooke Sprowl, LCSW, a clinical psychotherapist and founder of My LA Therapy, says non-verbal cues, especially eye contact, are the "single best indicator of whether or not someone likes you."
"If someone is failing to make eye contact by looking down or looking around the room, that's a signal that you're not holding their interest and that they're trying to communicate discomfort, a change of topic, or to exit the conversation entirely," she says.
Another non-verbal cue is all in the movement of their arms. According to Sprowl, if the person you're talking to has their arms crossed, that's a clear indicator that they are anxious or closed off to the conversation, which might be a reflection of your rudeness. On the other hand, if they feel comfortable with you and your presence, their body language is more "relaxed and open," and they're more likely to use their hands to speak because they're interested and engaged in the conversation.
If you're asking someone questions, and they tend to only provide one-word answers, don't be surprised when you find out they think those questions are rude.
"Adding depth to answers allows for a conversation to build and continue," says Jennifer Brown, a licensed professional counselor in South Carolina. "If a person responds to you with answers like 'no' or 'whatever,' take that as a sign that they don't care to extend talking time with you."
According to a notable 2009 study published in the journal Psychophysiology, sighing is often an involuntary function that comes from being overly stressed, annoyed, or agitated. So, if someone's audibly sighing as soon as you walk through the door, don't take that lightly. Your rude behavior may be too much for them to handle.
Just because someone smiles at you when they're in your presence, doesn't mean they don't think you're rude, arrogant, and hard to be around. Most people aren't going to come right out and tell you they don't like you, but pay attention to how they smile at you. Lynell Ross, founder of Zivadream, says you can tell if someone is genuinely smiling by seeing "if their eyes are sparkling and crinkled in at the corners." If their smile is not so genuine, you'll notice a disconnect between their upper and lower face, typically having deadpan eyes even if the corners of their mouth are turned up in a smile.
Fatigue is a telltale symptom of stress. So, if someone appears more tired both physically and mentally after spending time with you, it could very well be because your rude behavior is adding anxiety and discomfort to their life.
Physical distance is a "key sign of whether someone likes you or not," according to Rachel Vida MacLynn, founder of The Vida Consultancy. Subconsciously, we feel more comfortable being in close proximity to people we like to be around, while we "move away from people we are less comfortable with." And you can also check out their feet! MacLynn says that feet "naturally point away from someone if you dislike them," and instead, they may point "towards an exit" to make it easier to leave the conversation when the person they're talking to is being rude.
In less-than-ideal scenarios, people will even avoid activities they usually enjoy if they know there is going to be someone there who makes them feel uncomfortable. If you decide to attend happy hour and your most sociable coworker immediately cancels, it's safe to assume that the problem isn't a scheduling conflict, it's the rude company—namely, you.
People often turn to vices like alcohol as a means of coping when stressed—and that includes the stress of interacting with rude people. In fact, a 2018 survey from the UK Mental Health Foundation found that 74 percent of respondents felt overwhelming stress in the past year, and 29 percent of those individuals reported taking up drinking or increasing their drinking as a way to cope. So, if someone starts having more cocktails than usual when you're around, consider talking to them about what's stressing them out. (And be warned: It could be you.)
If people think you're rude, then they're probably not going to go out of their way to hang out with you, says Christine Scott-Hudson, MFT, licensed psychotherapist and owner of Create Your Life Studio. If you notice that someone is eager to hang out with everyone but you, whether it be at "events, outings, lunch, or the movies," it might be because your rude behavior has turned them off.
Vague responses to plans you initiate can be just as much of a bad sign, says MacLynn. People may not be eager to actively tell you "no," even if they think you're rude, so they instead become hard to pin down and get an answer out of. If you keep asking a coworker to come out for drinks and they've avoided giving you a definite response, take this into consideration.
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