Mean People Suck
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/06/health/psychology/06essa.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Not long ago, one of my psychiatric residents called in distress about a patient who was demanding a different therapist. “This guy is in my office shouting at me and telling me how bad I am,” the resident said.
Sure enough, the patient in question was very hostile and demeaning in talking about this young doctor. Jabbing his finger in the air, he told me how unsympathetic my resident was and how rude the staff at the front desk had been.
“This kid doesn’t know the first thing about treating patients,” he said with derision. He clearly meant to hurt and humiliate his new doctor in front of a supervisor.
I listened for a while to his litany of complaints and found it easy to understand why people didn’t like him. “It’s no surprise to me that people aren’t nice to you if this is a sample of how you behave in the world,” I said to him.
This remark did not go over well.
I want to say that to people more often. Like half of my customers.
Not long ago, one of my psychiatric residents called in distress about a patient who was demanding a different therapist. “This guy is in my office shouting at me and telling me how bad I am,” the resident said.
Sure enough, the patient in question was very hostile and demeaning in talking about this young doctor. Jabbing his finger in the air, he told me how unsympathetic my resident was and how rude the staff at the front desk had been.
“This kid doesn’t know the first thing about treating patients,” he said with derision. He clearly meant to hurt and humiliate his new doctor in front of a supervisor.
I listened for a while to his litany of complaints and found it easy to understand why people didn’t like him. “It’s no surprise to me that people aren’t nice to you if this is a sample of how you behave in the world,” I said to him.
This remark did not go over well.
I want to say that to people more often. Like half of my customers.