They are not swear words.
First impressions can be crucial, whether it’s for making friends, going for a job interview, or just having a conversation with someone. The words you use can make a big difference to how you might be perceived.
Coming across as rude is something that no one wants to do.
Curse words and aggression are obviously going to make you come across as unfriendly, but those are the things we have been told off for and warned against doing since you were a little kid.
But common, everyday words used in the wrong way, or used too often can make you come across pretty rude.
According to the Muse, have said that these three words can make you seem rude in conversations.
They explain why they seem rude and possible words you can use instead.
Actually
If you think of a sentence and add in ‘actually’ you’ll probably see why it’s seen as abrupt. Using this in a conversation can seem like you are correcting your boss, being condescending or being defensive. Instead saying things like ‘I see’, ‘That makes sense’ and ‘Good point’ shows that you are listening and if you need to make a point, just leave out the actually, and the point remains the same.
Sorry
Sorry is used too commonly that it cam come across as flippant and ingenuine, and sincerity is an important quality. Irish people especially use sorry more than necessary as a way of saying excuse me so when you use it to apologise, it loses its weight. Instead, Muse recommends using things like ‘You’re right’ or ‘My apologies’.
Me
Talking about yourself in the workplace is fine, but making it all about yourself can seem rude. Saying things like ‘It would help me if you finished that by 5pm’ rather than, it would help ‘the team’ or ‘us’ might not come across well. The website advised using words previously mention like ‘us’, ‘we’ and ‘team’ is more inclusive.
While these words are obviously fine to use every day, using them too often in the workplace and in a certain manner can come across negatively. Swapping them out for some of the recommended words could make a big difference to how people perceive you.
