How Not To Put Your Foot in Your Mouth With Strangers and Acquaintances

When you are talking to strangers, or even people who are not that close, it can be very easy to say something that offends them or hurts their feelings. You can’t expect to know what words will do this because you don’t know them very well. That's the point. You don’t know their history, likes, dislikes, beliefs, and circumstances.

Everyday people are making bad impressions, losing respect, offending others, and becoming disliked, just because of the things they are saying. You can lose business deals over this. You can lose positive relationships because of this. You can affect both your personal and business life negatively just by putting your foot in your mouth.

So here are three tips to help you avoid saying anything that offends or hurts other people.

No personal information - Do not talk about your personal life to people you hardly know, unless they are your priest or shrink. As humans, we put a lot of stock into our beliefs and tend to do things that line up with them. Essentially, your life’s events are a reflection of your beliefs. Your beliefs may not be in line with the person you are talking to. In fact, they may be so out of line that you instantly become someone they don’t like just by talking about your life.

For instance you may talk about supper last night. Maybe the meat dish that you ate was the best thing you have ever tasted and you want to share this fact, because you think meat is the number one thing out there when it comes to food. But if you are talking to a vegan from an animal rights organization, then you are going to be labelled by them as someone who goes against the way of life they believe in. You will offend them, repulse them, and lose their interest all in one shot.

No complaining – One of the best ways to offend people and turn them off is to complain. You may think that you are simply engaging in conversation with someone. After all, most of us start conversations by complaining! But to be honest, not everyone out there likes to complain. And you can become an uglier person to them when you do. Even people who complain all the time don't tend to like complainers. They would rather surround themselves with positive people.

The fact is that what you complain about may be something that the person you are talking to is happy about. You may hate rain, but they may love it. You may hate work, but they may enjoy it. Your likes and dislikes – just like your beliefs – are not going to agree with everyone else's likes and dislikes out there. So it’s better to avoid complaining altogether. Instead, talk about positive things that are happening around you, and you are sure to uplift and brighten someone’s day instead of possibly making someone dislike you.

Watch Your Wording - Always think about your differences in life when engaging in conversation with someone who is not close. You may think using a slang word that many people use is funny. Maybe you use the word 'retarded' to describe things you don't like. But if you are talking to someone who has a mentally handicapped family member, that word takes on a whole different meaning to them, and you will offend them if you use it in your conversation.

Slang words that are used to be insulting, but also apply to different religions, races, sexual orientations, or beliefs, should never be used when engaging in conversation with someone you don't know well.

Kari runs a personal development website that focuses on helping people find their happiness and improve their live's in common problem areas. Visit Manifest Connection for your next dose of happiness.