Let’s face it, people aren’t always the best; in fact, people are the worst…sometimes. Time and time again, I have found myself in these very special moments and I have wanted nothing more than to turn around and just yell “GO AWAY!” Of course, in our so-called ‘civilized society’ it is looked down upon to explode in such a manner. even when it may be justified. However, it is not necessarily bad to call attention to someone that’s being rude in certain situations.
Such as when:
1. Someone isn’t giving you your well deserved personal space.
It’s a rule of thumb that you don’t stand too close to people around you. Some people may be more immune to this phenomena, but others-such as my lovely self- would rather not have a stranger breathing down our necks! In which case, don’t fear being seen as a jerk by people standing around, if it bothers you, it’s worth mentioning.
2. You’re having workplace problems.
This is always a difficult one. We all need money, so it can be really scary to raise your voice about certain things. Whether it’s harassment of any kind, problems with an abusive or troublesome boss, or fellow co-workers, it’s always important to speak up, even though it can be really scary to do so.
3. You received a possibly unfair grade.
We all know the excuse, “I got a bad grade because my teacher didn’t like me,” all too well. Though this is a far-fetched notion most of the time, sometimes, just sometimes, this may be true. I have been in the situation before, and for the whole semester, I feared a bad grade due to being perhaps a little too outspoken on a subject the teacher held very dearly to. Sure enough, at the end of the semester, after showing some of my old work, which he claimed she mistakenly did not type in, my grade went from a D to an A!
4. There needs to be more inclusivity into the classroom.
Sometimes there are subjects in school which by their nature and times of origin can be exclusive to some groups of people. Being an English major, there are times when this can be the case, however, sometimes it is the case that the professor simply did not consider or care much about it. If you feel like the subject matter focuses too much on only one group of people, and excludes all others, it may be time to ask for some even ground. You’re telling me that there are no contemporary female, Latinx, etc. authors that you can’t teach the class on? I don’t think so.
While the list goes on and on about things that we want to change, it is good to know that if it seems unfair or unreasonably bothersome to you, it is worth mentioning. A lot of the times as women we are told we ‘exaggerate’ thus undermining our thoughts, reasons, and feelings. However, realizing and knowing that you matter is all the validity you need to raise your voice!