Unfortunate phrases that can ruin your reputation

An old saying goes that we have two ears and only one mouth to speak less and listen more. Of course, not everyone takes this teaching seriously and every now and then makes gaffes by talking too much.

In this post, the awesome.club presents examples of phrases that should be avoided at the risk of ruining your reputation.

Before criticizing someone, ask yourself if you would have the courage to say the same thing in public or in front of a camera. If the answer is ‘no’, be quiet. Nowadays, with cell phone cameras everywhere, it is very common for this type of comment to reach the ears (and eyes) of the person criticized.

A lot of people, with the aim of pleasing or earning points with the interlocutor, commit themselves to all kinds of projects or get involved in the most varied commitments without even knowing what it is about beforehand. Listen and evaluate and only then give the final word. A project that is too difficult to execute can suck your energy and even your money. Even worse is not fulfilling what you promised.

Hardly anyone likes people who ‘think themselves’. So don’t exaggerate when talking about your strengths, your fortune or the incredible adventures you’ve already had. Self-compliments, even if deserved, look bad.

The opposite of the previous tip. No one likes people who spend all their time talking well about themselves. But, at the other extreme, people who complain about everything aren’t usually well regarded either. By the way, it is also bad to be hurting yourself on social networks. Remember: your boss, your husband and your colleagues can even help you. But they don’t get paid to do that. So, don’t over-saturate them with your problems.

First, try to address people by name. There is research and research showing that any conversation tends to flow much more pleasantly when people are called by name. If you don’t know the name (and aren’t familiar with the interlocutor), pay attention to the pronouns: ‘sir’, ‘madam’, at most ‘you’. And no slang with strangers! Finally, we point out that the more you show interest in the person and in what they are saying, the better treatment you will receive.

Since we talked about slang in the previous paragraph, let’s get back to them. If you are not very intimate with your interlocutor, avoid them at all costs. Slang, in general, is part of the specific vocabulary of a given group. So, if the person you are talking to is not part of that group, you will have to ‘turn on an internal SAP key’ and mentally translate all the expressions. And that, of course, makes communication difficult.

Many people justify excessive sincerity by saying they are ‘real’. But most of the time they are just disrespectful. In some cases, telling the truth will not change your life at all and will make your interlocutor upset. Therefore, avoid comments about the appearance, intelligence or other skills (or lack thereof) of the person you are talking to.

Only a clueless person will get into thorny subjects like religious or political convictions when the conversation doesn’t get to those subjects. Issues like the ones we mentioned (and others like sexual preference) are strictly personal. And, if you don’t want to make enemies or be rude, avoid these topics.

If you try to give the impression that you know anything, you are more likely to be considered a bore. Only that.

Being a respected person in any social circle is relatively simple. Just a little common sense and respect for other people.