Thereâs a fine line between sarcasm and plain rudeness. Thereâs an equally fine line between well intended and just stupid. Which one do you fall in? Thatâs a tough answerâĻbut for the sake of argument, letâs assume you mean well.
Still, how many times have you opened your fat mouthâĻonly to be desperately looking for your foot to stick in there?
âYou Seem Happyâ â You never know how someone is truly feeling, so you may need to find another way to put this. Therapist Erica Hornthal says itâs about understanding your audience. "For people with mental illness or high-functioning anxiety,â she explains. âThese phrases can feel invalidating and unsupportive."
âWell, Thatâs Amazingâ â Unless whatever happened really was amazing? This will be subconsciously perceived as snotty. âIt's often a cover up for when we're either jealous or simply not listening," Wayne Pernell offers. âInstead, respond by saying âThat's fantastic! Tell me moreâ.â
âYou Shouldâve Reached Outâ â Like someone needs to fee lousier? How about âPlease feel free to reach out to me in the future. Iâm here for youâ instead? This leaves an open door, especially if your friend is going through some things.
âThis is Better Than I Expectedâ â Youâre ratting yourself out and admitting that you had low expectations from the jumpâĻand that youâre surprised that things actually turned out well. BEWARE, you may get a few foul words thrown your way.
âYouâre So Cuteâ â This is something you tell your little brother when heâs trying to grow up on you, and you squeeze those little cheeks. Heâll probably just shoo you away and go on about his business. Try saying this someone older, and it definitely wonât go over as smoothly. Unless the recipient is under 10âĻitâll come off as patronizing.