| robustpuppy |
06-01-2005 06:14 PM |
Tact (or lack thereof)
Quote:
Originally posted by notcasesensitive
Have you ever known someone who repeatedly makes jokes about another person's physical disabilities (or race, or whatever) to you even though you find those jokes to be in poor taste? If so, what do you do about it? Do you repeatedly tell that person how tasteless the jokes are or do you just turn a deaf ear? At what point do you become complicit by allowing the jokes?
I had a boss who would tell racist and homophobic jokes at client lunches. What do you do in situations like that?
Just curious.
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The jokes reflect on the teller, not on those unfortunate enough to be present when they are made.
If you are not in a position where you have the ability to correct the person (i.e., the person is not your child or subordinate), your failure to do so is not an affirmation and would not reasonably be interpreted as complicity by anyone else.
There is a look you can adopt that is clearly one of disapproval and discomfort. In most situations it's best if you only wear that look briefly enough so that you don't trigger a confrontation or attempted defense, but long enough so that the teller gets that it's not cool. But this would only work when you're in the same room, obviously. |
