Behavior Matters

It’s disappointing when public figures behave rudely. We live in a fame-oriented society where children look up to celebrities and emulate their behavior. Just because someone is rich, famous or powerful doesn’t mean that they can behave rudely and hurt others.

This past week, we’ve seen Kanye West disrespect Taylor Swift on national television. What was he thinking? He stole her moment and cannot give it back, no matter how much he apologizes. We also witnessed Serena Williams berating a tennis judge after disagreeing with a call. She could have let the judge know that she was unhappy with the call without being threatening. Even Kanye and Serena’s most ardent fans may lose respect for them after their outbursts.

Did you see Representative Joe Wilson shout “You Lie” while the President was giving a speech on healthcare reform? Whatever your opinion is on the healthcare issue, we can all agree that Wilson’s behavior was very rude and unacceptable.

Kanye, Serena, and Congressman Wilson have personally and publicly apologized for their rude behavior, which I commend. Although we all make mistakes and no one is perfect, these three incidents were completely unnecessary and could have been avoided.

Tip: You must tread carefully when you are dealing with differences of opinion. Open-minded people can discuss anything without tempers flaring.