No two people are alike which means there will be inevitable clashes over culture, personal preferences and more mundane issues such as greetings. Are you sometimes offended by greetings? Read on to find out how to respond when someone greets you in a way that you do not like.
I was recently conversing with one of my work colleagues and she said that she was offended when someone said "God bless you" as they were parting company. I must admit that I was a bit surprised by this. In my experience, it is not very common to hear people offering such greetings to one another in northern California. But if we had been in the south, then I would not have been at all surprised by this or similar greetings such as "ya'll have a blessed day" and other variations. My colleague carried on by saying that if she wanted to be blessed, she would go to church. While I could see her point of view, I saw no real reason why she was so offended. She did not know how to respond and wondered if I could shed any light on the matter.
This is not the only pleasantry that can offend a person. Seasonal greetings abound during Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, Eid ul-Fitr and other religious and secular occasions around the globe. In fact, in many parts of the world, such as in shops, shop assistants are counselled to offer seasonal greetings to customers. But if you hear a greeting that offends you because you do not share the other person's views on the observance, how should you respond to what has been said? Should you rebuke them for "blessing" you when you a professed atheist? Or simply smile and thank them?
While it is tempting to let the other person know that you do not share in their beliefs and that you do not appreciate being greeted in such a manner, stop for a moment and reflect on what the person has said. Nine times out of ten, people mean no harm by their greetings. It is often so ingrained into people from their earliest infancy that it seems natural to greet people in such a manner. As such, to upbraid them on the offensive greeting could do more harm than good, not to mention the fact that it is rude.
The polite way to respond to a greeting that you find offensive is to smile and to thank the person. Thanking them does not mean that you agree with the greeting. It just acknowledges their thoughtfulness in greeting you. But if you are better acquainted with the person, you can calmly explain why you do not share the other person's point of view.
