How Rude

HOW RUDE (1 SAMUEL 25)

Public Agenda, a non-profit group, interviewed more than 2,000 people in its study on civility and manners called “Aggravating Circumstances: A Status Report on Rudeness in America.” The group revealed that eight in 10 Americans said a lack of respect and courtesy is a serious problem and six in 10 reported that things have become worse in recent years. More than a third (35 percent) admitted to being aggressive drivers.

Three-quarters of those surveyed said they’ve often seen customers treat sales staff rudely and 46 percent also claimed they’ve walked out of a store because of the way the staff treated them. Nearly everyone surveyed (94 percent) agreed that the biggest complain is to “call a company and get a recording instead of a human being” and 77 percent held that telemarketing is “rude and pushy.”

While three-quarters believed that people have become more caring and thoughtful to others after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, only 34 percent said the feeling would last a long time; 46 percent thought it would only last a few months and 18 percent believed it was already over.

http://www.publicagenda.org/specials/civility/civility.htm

More than two-thirds (71%) say they’ve witnessed parents shouting at coaches, referees or players. (USA Today 4/2/04 “How rude, and aggravating”).

The Chinese say “Everyone hits a rat that crosses the street” and “Dogs bully the tiger that descends to the plains.”

David was the great Jewish hope to the throne, the next in line to succeed Saul and a Zorro or Robin Hood figure to the masses. People should thank him for his victories over Goliath and the Philistines, but they heard reports that he was Saul’s enemy, he had no army and he had befriended Moab (1 Sam 22:4). All of a sudden, David was out-of-luck, out-of-favor and out-on-his-own. The former hero would soon be the ex-son-in-law of Saul (v 44).

How do you respond when you are treated like dirt or scum? What could you do if you are pushed out, pushed too far and pushed to the edge?

Think it Through Over Again– Don’t Excite Your Heart or Decide When You’re Angry

2 A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel. 3 His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was surly and mean in his dealings. 4 While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. 5 So he sent ten young men and said to them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. 6 Say to him: ‘Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours! 7 “‘Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. 8 Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my young men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.’” 9 When David’s men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David’s name. Then they waited. 10 Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. 11 Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?” 12 David’s men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word. (1 Sam 25:2-12)

A mournful-looking guy walked into a bar and asked for a shot of whiskey — straight. He gulped it down, then pounded on the bar for two more. The bartender looked at him quizzically and said, “Buddy, you’ll be in a mess of trouble if you down a couple more of those. Slow down a bit.” The unhappy boozer replied, “Hey, living dangerously is in my blood. Twenty years ago my dad was the first guy to ever jump from a plane two thousand feet up without a parachute. Ten years later my brother was the second man to ever do it. A couple of years ago my mother was the first woman to jump out of a plane at three thousand feet without a parachute, and tomorrow I’ll be the first to jump out of a jumbo jet without a parachute.”

The incredulous bartender said, “That’s crazy! Don’t you know that you could be killed?” “Of course,” the customer replied, “but what have I got to live for? I’ve got no father, no mother, no brother ....”