You were taught to never be rude, to try to make everyone like you. But sometimes not being “rude” can get you into some unwanted situations. You know that it is okay to say no but do you feel like you can, or is that too “rude”?
Scenario:
You are out with your friends and talking to people. A guy keeps coming on to you. He is hitting on you and making you physically uncomfortable. So you tell your friends you don’t feel well and go home. You choose to ruin your night than tell someone they are making you uncomfortable. Why? Say no.
Scenario:
You try to always be nice and sometimes that comes off differently to different people. You are just being friendly to someone and they have met you a few times. They awkwardly ask you out and you obviously don’t have those feelings for them. Instead of saying you aren’t interested you lie and say you are seeing someone. Is lying really the better option? Just say no.
Scenario:
You are at a party having a great time and a boy tells you that they are going to walk you home. You don’t want to leave, but you know it’s smart to get walked home so you leave with him. You ended your night early for one person, because they wanted to leave. Couldn’t you have just said that you wanted to stay? Say NO.
Scenario:
You’re drunk and a very attractive boy tries to get you to go home with him. You are scared to offend him so you go. You have sex with someone you don’t know and wake up the next morning feeling used and like you disrespected yourself, because you didn’t want to offend someone. If that would have offended him is he really worth your time? No one wants intimacy that someone regrets so you are doing them a favor by saying NO.
Scenario:
You have been in a relationship for a year and you think you are in love with a great guy. Sometimes he pressures you into sex but you think it is ok and you have to go along with it because you love each other. Just because it is consensual doesn’t mean it makes you comfortable. You can say no.
You aren’t measured by the number of people you say no to. You are the only one that can measure you and if you say yes to things you don’t want then you aren’t going to think highly of yourself. If it is “rude” for you to keep yourself physically and mentally healthy then I hope you are the rudest person you can be.