18 Individuals Who Effortlessly Put Insolent People in Their Place

Almost everyone has encountered someone who behaves tactlessly. Sometimes, the rude person’s day started off on the wrong foot, and sometimes the person just has a bad temper. Some people don’t respond well to this behavior but keep their grievances to themselves, while others are able to quickly put the impudent person in their place. And some do it so skillfully, and even humorously, that we just envy their ability.

• My late aunt, who looked like an archetypal sweet little old lady but was extremely manipulative, would let people rant at her for a bit and then peer at them and say, “Aren’t you feeling well, dear?” Or, worse, let them rant themselves to a standstill and then say, “Bye-bye, dear, I hope you’ll be feeling better tomorrow.” © Claire Jordan / Quora
• We were joking about my upcoming birthday at work today, and my female coworker said: “You are turning 16, right?” (she knows I’m about to be 24) and I instantly said, “Yeah, half your age.” It came out so well, that the instant regret on her face was priceless. © defnotqnx / Reddit

• Once, we took our Rottweiler to a dog training course at a dog school. The owner was teaching a course called guard service. One of the dog owners decided to boast excitedly: “You know, we’re teaching Lord discipline. We put a bowl of food in front of him and don’t let him eat until we give him the command out loud. At first, he couldn’t stand it, but now he sits in place longer and longer. Have you ever tried it?”
  And the owner replied, “I never gave myself the goal of teasing an animal.”
• My son was about 5 years old, and we stopped at a store to buy him something. We were standing next to the car when a car drove into the parking lot at a high speed. This guy behind the wheel almost hit us. I couldn’t help but say, “Looks like someone’s in a big hurry?”
  The impudent driver started insulting me in response. My child asked, “Mom, why aren’t you saying anything back to this guy?” That’s when I pulled myself together and told my little one, “Sweetheart, even though he behaves like this, it’s up to us whether we can be better than him. Moreover, all this rudeness only brings them joy.”
  My son smiled and said that it was a great idea. He even managed to wish that guy a good day. © Heather Smith / Quora

• I was at home cooking lunch when the doorbell rang. I opened the door, and there was a man from the management company. He said, “Mmm, it smells so good! I haven’t had lunch today.” I pretended not to hear him. But he kept insisting, “Won’t you offer me anything?”
  That’s when I got angry and handed him some money with the words, “Go buy some instant noodles!” Then I showed him the door. Where did he get such audacity? He wasn’t even a guest, for crying out loud.
• My former boss made a silly mistake. To avoid getting in trouble with the higher-ups, he decided to blame it on me. So there I was, trying to defend myself and explain that it wasn’t my fault.
  And he sarcastically asked, “Well, in your opinion, what does a mistake look like?” He was getting on my nerves so much that I blurted out, “Perhaps your parents can answer that question better than I can!” © svhr93 / Reddit

• I was having lunch in a cafe. There was a couple sitting on the other side of the partition from me. The girl asked the guy, “Do you even love me? Why didn’t you choose a place where there’s vegan food?” I thought the answer was more than brilliant: “I’ve known meat for 20 years, but I’ve only been with you for 2 weeks.”
• I’m quite skinny, and people have always commented on my weight. A guy once told me, “You know you could eat a little more, every once in a while.” I patted his stomach and said, “You know, you could eat a little less.” He laughed in a kind of pained way and said I was witty or something. © Lindsey Barlow / Quora
• I grew up wearing glasses, and I’d always get, “You look better with your glasses off” if I had to take them off to clean them or something, and I’d immediately respond, “You look better with them off too.” I got so many people with that one as a kid. © MilkyLikeCereal / Reddit

• When I was a bartender, this guy would come in every few weeks with a new girl and be touching the girl, flirting, the whole show. At one point, he said something that implied I was stupid... and I replied, “At least I’m not dumb enough to come into the same bar with a new girl every week while sometimes forgetting to take off my own wedding ring...” I worked there for another year after that, and he never came back.
• I had an annoying co-worker who, unfortunately, sat next to me. He would spend some of his time criticizing the way I worked. One afternoon, as a dig at me, he walked past and made a “tsk tsk” noise, and then quipped, “Cluttered desk, cluttered mind.”
  I didn’t bother looking up, I simply replied, “And your desk is empty.” He made a disgusted noise and walked away. © Mike Bowerbank / Quora

• I was a manager of a convenience store. I was in the parking lot sweeping and changing the trash by the gas pumps and a man got out of his truck with his little boy. The man looked at me, looked at his son, and said, “See, son, this is why you go to college. You won’t have to do what she’s doing.”
  I responded with, “Sir, I’m actually just doing this to put myself through medical school. I’m learning general surgery, and I hope I never see you on my table.” © Courtnie Castille / Quora
• My language teacher said my speech didn’t have any level to it. And that she couldn’t understand half of it. I was really fed up with this lady, so I told her that if she couldn’t understand my speech, my level was clearly higher than hers.
  The whole class behind her screamed, “Ooohhh,” and I got detention. I was usually that kid that never got detention, but this was worth it. © III_07_Sev_III / Reddit
• Years ago, working in a restaurant, a table of 4 women came in. When I brought their drinks, one of them said, “Ugh this is disgusting, I won’t be drinking this. Give it to the staff.” Her tone was utterly haughty and obnoxious.
  Without even stopping to think, I laughed and said, “Madam, if it tastes that bad, I’m sure they won’t want it either.” © Thaeneagh Danis / Quora

• A new neighbor appeared in our building, and all the tenants immediately began to complain about her quirks. I met her for the first time in the elevator and, out of habit, said, “Good afternoon.” She responded with a tirade of abuse, the general meaning of which was that the day was far from good. It was something!
  Instead of getting offended, I simply remarked, “I’m very sorry. Apparently, you’re not having the best day today. If I can help you with anything, here’s my apartment number. Come by whenever you like.”
  She immediately fell silent and then admitted that I was the first person who’d tried to understand her. She hasn’t visited me yet, but she nods at me every time we cross paths. © Freda Whaley / Quora
• There was a colleague at work who never chipped in for sweets. But there was a pile of candy wrappers on her desk.
  One day, a coworker walked by and asked, “Tany, isn’t the candy delicious?” Tany, unsuspectingly replied, “Yes, why?” They said, “We just ran out. Can you buy the same more for tomorrow?”
  Tany bought the candy. However, she still didn’t start chipping in, and she hasn’t been treated to our candy since then.

• I used to work in a restaurant, and one time I accidentally switched coats with a customer. I called the woman on the phone, and she said, “How could I mix up our coats... Yours is so big. I’m definitely not that huge.”
  And I blurted out, “And I don’t understand how you could make such a mistake because I don’t wear such dirty clothes.” The coat did indeed have greasy sleeves, I noticed it even at the restaurant and was surprised. Although I shouldn’t have responded so rudely... © Helena Anne Kojac-Yaeger / Quora
• We have 4 25-story buildings situated in a way that echoes very well. One neighbor parked their car under their window, and their car alarm would go off at even the hint of any sound. I printed out a note that said, “Adjust your alarm, save your nerves and ours,” and taped it to their car’s hood with a brick. The hint was taken.