Five ways rudeness can actually be a positive experience

From swearing to insults, most of us have experienced rudeness in some form or another at work, out in public or online. Much of the research examining rudeness has focused on its negative effects and with good reason – there are plenty of them.

We know that rudeness is a stressor with adverse impact on well-being, job satisfaction and work performance, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that it is both insidious and a wholly negative experience. But surprisingly, our recent study into the experience of rudeness within a mental health context found that it can also be viewed positively, or at least used in a positive way.