How many times have you complained about our younger generations and how they are pretty much disrespectful little devils? None? How many times have you heard someone complain about them, then?
I hear it all the time. The younger generations are mean, and they don't listen to their parents and blah blah blah blah. Well...I tend to agree most of the time.
Except for today.
Today I realized that every single one of the members of upper management in my office are freaking jerks and they are all at least 50 years old. They are mean, rude, disrespectful and down right selfish. When one of the managers approached me today,said, "You have to take on more contracts. I'm having corporate send them to you," and then walked the hell out, a light bulb went off.
Our younger generations suck because they suck. I'm certainly not talking about everyone here, some people go above and beyond just to be nice, but there are a least 6 people I associate with every day that are like this. And they have children. Probably really mean children.
"You have to run reports every Friday from now on."
"You are not allowed to take Fridays off from now on."
"You have to input all of this information into a database."
See how I didn't add their pleases and thank yous? That's because they're aren't any. Ever.
I don't know why it took me this long to realize that this is the most frustrating part of my job. I honestly like the contracts and don't mind taking them. But do not tell me that I have to do something. Please is an easy enough word to say. It's one syllable for crying out loud and it makes the person you are barking orders to feel less like a piece of crap.
FREAKING USE IT.
P.S. Thank yous never hurt either.
9 comments:
I completely agree! I will have rude, RUDE students and when I meet their parents, I know exactly why. Rudeness raises more rudeness. Manners are a learned behavior and many people just teach bad manners. My mother made it a point to actually vocalize that "manners matter" and it worked! I'm sorry you have to work under jerks, that sucks, but hopefully you won't them ruin your own polite attitude!
I came across this problem in an office where I worked. I was the youngest person there and was somewhat surprised that women from 30-50 years old were acting like high schoolers.
But that is why I try not to encourage stereotypes like "young people are spoiled and disrespectful".
that is so true. there are rude people in every generation - unfortunately. and, some really great ones in every generation, too.
Yep so true I know a lot of older people who are just plain rude and they wonder why our youth are often rude well look who is setting such a shocking example...it is not hard to say please and thank you.....or sorry I have seen for myself how a persons attitude can change when you say sorry......
I agree. A lot of kids today don't know how to say please, thank you and excuse me..
Good post, and I so agree with you. Sometimes I think that good manners seem to have just gone out of the window these days, and I don't like it. As you say, it costs nothing to just say "please" or "thank you". I know that a lot of youngsters are rude, but when I'm out shopping, I notice that a lot of old people are that way as well. Pushing and shoving!
a simple please or thank you can go a long way
I don't mean to burst your bubble, but this is your work you're talking about. Your bosses/people giving orders aren't obliged to say please and thank you. Why should they when this is something you HAVE to do. If it wasn't something you have to do, then I can understand a please and a thank you if it was a favor. This is just part of the job you get paid to do, why should you expect anything else? It's like when my boss required me to type up a list for him. He didn't say please, but he did say it in question form rather than just telling me directly, which is more polite than a demand of course.
And saying rude raises rude isn't necessarily true. My parents are nice people, but my little sister is a giant jerk with an attitude. I'm not as mean as her, considering I share my things, but she doesn't share at all, not even candy she doesn't eat. Instead of listening to other people and admitting they're trying to help, she blows them off as they "don't understand her" or they're being jerks for not letting her live her life when they're trying to help her. I find younger people to be jerks because they tend to be less socially sensitive without social media. Maybe it's just the teenager in them, but for my little sister, she's been like that since she was little. Besides, neither my older sister or I was a giant jerk like she is at her age. I find older people are more willing to open doors for me and ask me how I am with a smile and actually listen to my response than younger people are. I find that nicer than "thank you" and "please." But that might be a generation thing.
At college, my generation is highly disrespectful of teachers. They rush out immediately once dismissed, talk during lecture, or have the sound turned up on their laptops. Some of them will let the door slam in your face. I think younger generations are a bit more disrespectful because they take things, like a college education, for granted and forget some people actually want to learn in a classroom. It's as if interacting with technology has caused them to forget how to interact with people and having access to more resources causes them to be less grateful since they just expect it.
The rudeness of people probably depends more on your environment and your definition of politeness though rather than the generation.
I know this is old, but I'm catching up.
I do believe at least once in this post that I said that I was not talking about everyone. I was talking about the general population at my office.
And no, I do not have 6 bosses. So your theory that my bosses should be able to treat me exactly how they wish doesn't really apply here. These are co-workers. We're on the same level. So pleases and thank yous should be required and demands should be frowned upon.
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