In elementary school, I was working on an English test and I was quietly saying something out loud to help me make sure it sounded right. I wasn’t able to be heard by anyone else, and I was sitting next to the English teacher.
“Don’t talk to yourself. Only crazy people talk to themselves.” the teacher stated.
I tried to explain how it helps me work through the right answer but she said that if I spoke out loud again I would fail the test. I was silent, but the test was harder than it needed to be and I got a worse grade than I could have.
Now it is accepted that there are different learning styles and that if I wasn’t disturbing anyone, then what did it matter that I was doing this? However, this was a long time ago, in a small-minded town, with poorly paid/trained teachers who thought teaching was about abusing the students. It was a battle I was never meant to win or be listened to.
Why am I sharing this? I remember that teacher being a jerk and her name, and no one liked her. I suppose that when you abuse people it is normal that people don’t like you. I think we have not been honest with people in our lives. There are times when you have to confront people for their abuse, and it’s necessary to stop them from abusing others.
There are always jerks in life, and you can find ways to hold them accountable to be respectful and professional. Everyone deserves respect, even the crazy ones.