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Today's chat
Is online here. Excerpt:
Holly: I read your column religiously, being something of an etiquette stickler. This one has me buffaloed. My sister-in-law (whom I get along well with and love like a sister) has a habit of critiquing my tendency to go to bed early when we're all on vacation together. "you can sleep when you die." To say I find this offensive is an understatement. None of the retorts I've considered seems both effective and relatively polite. I'd like to tell her what I think she's doing wrong in her life, but that seems petty. Any ideas?Robin_Abrahams: Well, you void your bowels when you die, too, but that doesn't stop most of us from doing it when we're alive. You could try telling her that. Or a simple, "You say this a lot, it bothers me, I like going to bed early and don't like having my personal choices critiqued. Trust me, I'm more pleasant to be around if I've had a good night's sleep. See you at the cafe at nine tomorrow?" might work better.
About Miss Conduct Robin Abrahams writes the weekly "Miss Conduct" column for The Boston Globe Magazine.
contributor
Robin Abrahams writes the weekly "Miss Conduct" column for The Boston Globe Magazine. Robin, who has a PhD in psychology from Boston University, has worked as a theater publicist, organizational-change communications manager, editor, stand-up comedian, and professor of psychology and English. She lives in Cambridge with her husband, Marc Abrahams, founder of the Ig Nobel Prizes, which are given annually for achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think.
Who is Miss Conduct?
Robin Abrahams writes the weekly "Miss Conduct" column for The Boston Globe Magazine. Robin, who has a PhD in psychology from Boston University, has worked as a theater publicist, organizational-change communications manager, editor, stand-up comedian, and professor of psychology and English. She lives in Cambridge with her husband, Marc Abrahams, founder of the Ig Nobel Prizes, which are given annually for achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think.
