Thursday, May 1, 2008

No offense, but…



"No offense, but..."

Don’t you hate when someone says that? It means they are going to say something offensive, doesn’t it? They know it's offensive, and say it anyway. It’s like a get out of jail free card. They’re supposed to get off free, while you’re left with the scars.

That phrase has some hostile cousins:

“You’re __________”, followed by “kidding!” (Not so funny at all!)

“You should know better than to take it personally! You know how I am!"

“You should know better than to take me seriously!”

“Geez, can’t you take a joke?”

“I’m sorry it hurt when I ____________ you.” (Note that the apology isn’t for the action, but for the fact that it hurt. It doesn’t imply the hitting won’t continue, either.)

“Sorry, but you _________.” (That means, I’m not sorry, and I blame you.)

Emotional and verbal abuse like this can leave lasting effects. If you are being emotionally abused, there are resources to help you:

Verbal Abuse, Emotional Abuse, and the Narcissist

Depression and Verbal Abuse

Stopping Verbal Abuse in Your Relationship

How to Manage Verbal Abuse

When Words Are Used As Weapons: Youth Can Prevent Verbal Abuse

Here is a list of books you might also find helpful.

If you are aware of other good resources, please leave a comment and I'll update this list. Thanks!

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Image Source:
http://www.safefromabuse.com/

1 comments:

Shelly said...

What an insightful look at the way people can introduce that they are about to hurt your feelings! how about:

Can I be honest with you?
You're always so thin-skinned.
You know I don't know what I'm saying when you make me angry.
Being angry is healthy, do you want me to hold it in and get depressed?

thank you for a good insight today. For those that want a free tutorial on how to stop verbal abuse and take your life back without leaving them, go to http://www.YouAreATarget.com

Shelly