by Guest » Fri Jun 24, 2011 9:35 am
I've always thought of tact as the ability to omit things that may be offensive to others during a conversation or interaction. It definitely has its place within the confines of an established relationship (i.e. girlfriend, friends, family, etc.). The reason is because you probably do know what is and is not offensive and upsetting to those individuals and it is your responsibilty to respect those topics and, for the most part, avoid them so as to make your time with those people enjoyable.
Now, if they bring up the topic then it's a different story entirely. If they want to talk about that which you skirt around then all bets are off. Here's where being articulate comes into play. So, to expand on Grimm's example of the chubby lady in the dress.
Chubby Lady: "Do you think I'm gaining weight / Do you think I should lose some weight?"
If she's your friend or you have a relationship with her then it is now your obligation to tell her your opinion but to do so in a respectful and articulate manner.
Bull Run: "Well, you have put on a few pounds and it wouldn't hurt if you put a little bit of effort into losing weight. Not just so you will look better but so you'll be healthier, feel better, have more energy, and will be more confident with how you look. I'd be happy to help you in any way I can...workout program, meal plan, etc. Plus anyways, if you lose a few pounds I'll definitely want to munch down on that pussy of yours more often...see, we all win..."
So, being tactful is not berating the poor woman about her insecurities and trying not to put her in a position where she feels bad or threaten or belittled by what the two of you are dicussing. Being articulate is using your words to communicate how you really feel but to do so in a respectful and positive manner. These are two totally different concepts.
Now, if it's a stranger that you've never met then you have zero idea of what is or is not offensive to them. So, being tactful kind of gets thrown out of the window. Now, there are some obvious things that you should stay away from when you've just met someone...if they're fat you're not going to call them fattie fat fats, if they're black/hispanic/asian/white etc. you're not going to drop a racial slur directed at their race, if they're disabled you're not going to tease them for not being able to walk, you'll treat seniors, parents, etc. with respect, etc. This is about the extent of tact that one can have when meeting a stranger and I'm not even sure I'd call it tact in this case...in this case it's just called being polite and fucking human.
Being articulate is, however, crucial when you first meet someone. You can say something that is borderline offensive as long as you explain exactly why you think what you said. For example, I met some of my GF's friends the other night and I was talking to one of her old friends from college (a guy that's married to one of her close friends). He was asking me about our relationship and I said something like this:
Bull Run: "Hey man, I think things are pretty good. It's still early but so far so good. There was a day when I would have been dating 2 or 3 girls just like her on the side but I have zero desire to do that with her at all. Which I find to be a great sign of my intentions. I mean fuck, just look at her...she's fucking adorable, she's kind, she's fun. I have zero complaints."
Most would probably say that I should never have mentioned the 'dating 2 or 3 other girls thing' but I did because it was the truth and I'm not going to lie just to spare someone's fucking feelings, especially some dude I just met. Fuck that guy. But, I followed up my statement with a very articulate explanation as to why it's different and as to why I'm just seeing her. Now, he chose to ignore the first part and the last part and just focused on the middle part. The 'bad' part, which he took out of context and twisted and distorted. He called her the next day and told her about my comment, she called me and asked me about it, and I told her he took it out of context and that what he chooses to hear and believe has nothing to do with what I said. She said that that's exactly what she thought happened.
I articulated my message well enough for him to understand. He decided not to process the rest of my statement. That's his problem. And, that's him just being stupid and petty. Most likely he's jealous.
I could have easily been more tactful and just omitted the dating other girls part but why? It's the truth and I'm not going to just fucking lie when asked. Ask me a question and I'll tell you the truth. The difference is that I'll do so in a positive, articulate, and respectful manner. It's up to other people to decide to listen or to be close minded and shut down and distort your words.
(Now, if it where her parents then I would never have said anything like that...again that's just being polite and seeing obvious things to omit for the sake of not causing any friction)
People do that shit all the fucking time and it has absolutely nothing to do with you. So, Grimm, I agree. Say what you want, say it with confidence, do not apologize for your what you believe, but do so in a respectful, positive, and articulate manner. Tact has a place with those that you have an established relationship with but it serves no purpose with those that you just first met. You don't know them, so how can you know what they're sensitive to and find offensive? You can't. You just have to understand that you're going to offend people. That's the way the world works. Some people are just way too sensitive and lack any level of self-esteem or confidence to deal with others without getting offended. Fuck them. That's there problem.
The key is just to not be a complete and utter, raging asshole. Skirt around the big, obvious things that others could find offensive but everything else is fair game as long as you explain yourself clearly.