6 Common Phrases You May Not Realize Are Condescending

LOADING ERROR LOADING While we may strive to be kind and compassionate in our communications with people, we’re bound to fall short sometimes. We’re being condescending when we speak to someone in a way that implies our own superiority, said journalist Celeste Headlee, author of “We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter.” “It generally involves some kind of haughty tone, but condescension also almost always involves a passive-aggressive behavior,” Headlee told HuffPost. “It can sound like they’ve set low expectations and are surprised that the person managed to meet even those.” Think of it this way, Headlee said: If you were opening up to a friend about how you’ve been looking for a job and the search has been really tough, how would you feel if they responded with, “Well, sounds like you’re trying your best.” “What would you want to hear in that situation? “For example, saying, ‘You should really do that; it would make your life so much better’ or ‘You must do that; you have to do this,’” Crain said. Consider something like: “‘I think it could be helpful for you to do that,’ rather than, ‘You have to’ or ‘You should.’ Maybe try using ‘perhaps,’” Crain said.