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Thursday question: Granny/Grampy's a bigot
When we were talking about "dealing with people who are wrong," the question of calling out wrongness v. respect for the elderly came up. I promised Amy R that we'd get to that one, specifically, and here we are:
I am a high school student and occasionally hear elderly relatives make prejudiced remarks at family gatherings. When I try to defend the prejudiced against person/group, the relative will ignore what I'm saying and/or talk over me. I know I should respect my elders, but it makes me so mad to hear them make these comments. Should I just give these relatives up as "stuck in their ways" and not rise to the bait or is there a polite way I can let them know I don't find these comments acceptable?
As usual, I'll post my response to your comments, and my own opinions, next week (new questions run here on Monday and Thursday; responses go up Tuesday/Wednesday and Friday). If you want more to read in the meantime, check out my other blog here.)
The author is solely responsible for the content.
About Miss Conduct
Welcome to Miss Conduct’s blog, a place where the popular Boston Globe Magazine columnist Robin Abrahams and her readers share etiquette tips, unravel social conundrums, and gossip about social behavior in pop culture and the news. Have a question of your own? Ask Robin using this form or by emailing her at missconduct@globe.com.
Welcome to Miss Conduct’s blog, a place where the popular Boston Globe Magazine columnist Robin Abrahams and her readers share etiquette tips, unravel social conundrums, and gossip about social behavior in pop culture and the news. Have a question of your own? Ask Robin using this form or by emailing her at missconduct@globe.com.
contributor
Robin Abrahamswrites the weekly "Miss Conduct" column for The Boston Globe Magazine and is the author of Miss Conduct's Mind over Manners. Robin has a PhD in psychology from Boston University and also works as a research associate at Harvard Business School. Her column is informed by her experience 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, the founder of the Ig Nobel Prizes, and their socially challenged but charismatic dog, Milo.
Who is Miss Conduct?
Robin Abrahamswrites the weekly "Miss Conduct" column for The Boston Globe Magazine and is the author of Miss Conduct's Mind over Manners. Robin has a PhD in psychology from Boston University and also works as a research associate at Harvard Business School. Her column is informed by her experience 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, the founder of the Ig Nobel Prizes, and their socially challenged but charismatic dog, Milo.
