“My bad!” Have you been given this as a form of apology? How did it make you feel? Satisfied? Vindicated? Resolved? Did it seem sincere? Did it sound like any restitution was forthcoming? It is a feeble act of taking responsibility, an acknowledgment, and for that one should expect it to lead to the conclusion of the matter. But it just sits there. Why and when did the phrases, “I’m sorry,” and “I apologize,” become “old- fashioned,” or as it now referred to as “old school?” Sir Elton John wrote, ” Sorry seems to be the hardest word.” Why? The airwaves were once filled with apology songs and they were quite popular. But no more. It has become popular to be rude, even acceptable in some instances. You may say I am a fossil. Out of touch with today’s lingo and style. I am in fact, quite the opposite. More to the point, I have observed that being polite has slowly eroded into chic rudeness. Entertainment and commercials have became offensively impolite and ill-mannered. How so?

Well, let’s start with the meaning of rude. Rude (rud) as an adjective. According to Webster’s Dictionary it has many meanings. I will list them as they apply. “1. Being in a rough or unfinished state: crude. 2. Lacking refinement or delicacy: a: ignorant, unlearned. b: inelegant, uncouth. c: offensive in manner or action: discourteous. d: uncivilized, savage. e: coarse, vulgar.3. marked by or suggestive of lack of training or skill: inexperienced. Rude as an synonyms, rude,rough, crude,raw, mean lacking in social refinement, rude implies ignorance of or indifference to good form; it may suggest intentional discourteous behavior. Rough is likely to stress lack of polish and gentleness as in rough manners. Crude may imply to thought or behavior limited to the gross, the obvious, or the primitive as in crude joke. Raw suggests being untested, inexperienced, or unfinished as in turning raw youths into polished performers.”

So now that we fully understand the meaning of rude, how appealing does that sound as a personal description or a way to spend precious time in engaging in entertainment that promotes rudeness?

How much more appealing is it to be in the company of politeness? It doesn’t have to be accepted. If someone says “my bad,” I say, “excuse me?” I am always polite when I reply, In which they must then say, what they should of said in the first place, which is, ” Pardon me, excuse me, I’m sorry or I apologize,” as the case applies. It doesn’t matter to me that I may come across as “not cool.” What matters to me is how I am treated and how I treat others.

Try this as an experiment; Count how many times in the day you smile and say, “please or thank you, I apologize, excuse me or I’m sorry.” Do you laugh at rude behavior or dismiss rude language as stress-related? I think you will find that you feel more in control with more personal power and feel happier by using polite words. A polite word can create a pleasant environment and achieve positive results.