By Ashtyn Britt
abritt@lc.edu

There is no greater pet peeve of mine than when someone is condescending to me. It is amazing how many people will treat you like you are an idiot and explain the simplest concept to you multiple times, and not listen to you when you tell them you understand or have prior knowledge on the subject. I have had multiple people my whole life, some people more consistent than they should have been, treat me this way, and it was not until more recent years I stopped tolerating it. In fact, my 2020 resolution was to stop letting people treat me worse than I deserved.

It can be hard at first, because you do not want to be mean. I myself like to try to show empathy and kindness as often as I can, but I have learned that there are boundaries that have to be placed and respected. When someone violates those boundaries repeatedly, it is okay to be assertive and not tolerate their behavior. It is important, though, to learn healthy communication and how to not downplay your boundaries, in order to make sure that you are not ever taken advantage of by the wrong people. This is why I no longer tolerate people being condescending to me. I am a grown woman, and I can be spoken to and respected as such.

All I could ask, dear readers, is to please not put up with someone being condescending to you. Especially if it is supposed to be a close friend or partner. Please, speak up and call the other person out when they are being unreasonably cruel. You deserve decency from the people in your life, and there is no shame in standing up for yourself. You are not a child, you are not stupid, and you are not beneath anyone. I believe in you and encourage you to embrace your inner strength.