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What, never?


Well, I hardly ever get insulted, and if somebody does manage it, I usually consider that they have done me a great service. Why? If somebody says something that might insult me, I generally have one of two reactions:
  1. I think they're right. Either they have a good point that I had not considered, or they've described one of my less-than-admirable features, and I already know about it. (One should never get offended at the truth.) If they are pointing it out, that helps me to remember to do something about it, if I wish to. My response is to agree with them.
  2. I think they are wrong, or that they hold different opinions. This doesn't make me feel insulted, it just means that they misinterpreted something or otherwise were the victim of bad information. Or their opinions just differ from mine. I can deal with that; usually there is very little "right" and "wrong" in most situations. I usually try to find the root cause of the disagreement, and see if I can rationally convince them of my point of view. (Or, very rarely, I conclude that they are just stupid, which simply leaves me feeling superior. Not admirable, but true.) In any case, there is no need to take offense. I have no problem if someone has different opinions from my own... most people do.

    There is a third possibility:

  3. They point out a personal flaw that I did not already know about. I have determined that an insult cannot make me feel bad unless I feel there may be some truth to it, and I have not already accepted that truth. (It seems likely that this is the case for other people, as well). So, if an insult actually bites, it gives me pause. Usually I tell the person I'll think about it, and thank them for the insight later.

The key, of course, is being aware of your flaws, and accepting them (not to say that one should not concentrate on improving them, of course!). I think I'm pretty good at that.