Rude Behavior by Celebrities

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It is unfortunate that Serena Williams, Congressman Wilson, and Kanye West had to make their mistakes in an international arena, but they are celebrities and they should know better. We expect more from them because they are in the limelight. Whether we like it or not, they are role models and their rude and obnoxious behavior says to many that it is ok to behave this way.

So many people complain about being disrespected, but respect is for the most part earned, not given. You should get some respect out of common courtesy. The President of the United States gets respect simply because of his office., but this type of respect is quickly lost if people see improper behavior.

Gross errors in etiquette made by people on an international stage happen in varying degrees every day. Things that people may not even be aware of that offend others and hurt relationships. The three celebrities mentioned were lucky, they were instantly made aware of their mistakes and now they all have a chance to ask for forgiveness and make amends.

The problem with everyday life is that most people won’t tell you when you have offended them or turned them off in some way with your behavior. They don’t want a confrontation. The ramifications can lead to a decision not to do business with you, a lost job opportunity or even a lost possibility for romance.

That is why it is so important for all of us to concentrate on our social graces. Many were never taught social graces. Even those that were taught occasionally forget or get out of practice. Everyone can benefit from a refresher course in social graces.

Society has gotten so lax in this area that those that practice proper social graces really stand out. It has been proven that people that practice proper social graces are perceived by others to be more educated, sophisticated, capable, attractive and confident. They might even be perceived to have higher integrity. Those are the attributes that build respect from others. Social graces are easy to learn and have an instant positive effect on all our relationships.

There are consequences for rude behavior. If you are telling a story and someone interrupts you, are you going to invite that guy back again? As people display obnoxious behavior, they lose opportunities.

Wilson got noticed, but not the right way. It has created negative long-term ramifications and he will have to live with for he rest of his life. He got his point across, but he did it from a point of weakness. He showed that he is not a gentleman and has a lack of control, tolerance, and compassion. His position is now polarized and he will have to go to extreme lengths to fix this, if he so chooses.
Remember that when you get upset and show it, you are demonstrating weakness. It is better to take some time and find a way to present your objection from a point of power. This is especially important for our leadership because they set the pace for accepted behavior and lose credibility when they misbehave.

There are rules in every sport and the proper behavior is called “sportsman like conduct”. There are penalties applied when these behaviors get out of hand. In the entertainment industry, humility is generally preferred over arrogance. In politics there is an accepted protocol and political decorum that provides an environment of cooperation. When protocol is broken, it can lead to war. This all stems from social graces and this is something that brings us together, whereas rude behavior divides us. True leaders bring us together.

Everyone makes mistakes, but that’s how we learn and grow. When people feel the embarrassment associated with improper behavior, this is a good sign. They can then focus on what was wrong and fix the problem. For people that keep making the same mistakes over and over again, they either aren’t aware of the problem, or they don’t have the will to fix it. They are just offensive to be around and they are probably suffering the consequences for their actions as other people keep their distance from them.

We all have the ability to change and we all make mistakes. When it comes to social graces, if someone points out a mistake you make, you know you have a friend. Most people will simply distance themselves from you and not say a word. Instead of relying on friends to correct your social graces, it is best to take the initiative and educate yourself. There is no time better spent than time spent on self-improvement. I hope you will take some time, think about these and other major celebrity blunders and consider social graces as another important part of your self-improvement process.