Why does everyone seem so rude, especially on the days when you’re already having a hard time?
You send a coworker three well-thought-out questions. Five minutes later: “Yes. No. Later.” No greeting, no explanation. And a little movie starts playing in your head: she doesn’t respect me…
Stress expert Elke Van Hoof explains what your brain does with a message that contains too little information—and why that plays out differently on your busiest days. It says less about your colleague’s character and your own sensitivity than you might think. She helps you literally see the situation through a different lens using a listening experiment: the “Lens Switch.”
But Elke remains honest: a kind explanation isn’t a magic wand, nor is it a free pass for rude behavior. It’s a pause button for your system, so that afterward you can make a clear choice: ask a question, set a boundary, or let it go.
