Becoming Unoffendable: How To Deal With Insults
Becoming Unoffendable
How To Deal With Insults
Read this article in other languages: Italiano
“Choose not to be harmed – and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed – and you haven’t been.” – Marcus Aurelius
I was at a busy library in London a few weeks back when a quirky, middle-aged lady started chatting to me. About three minutes into the conversation she commented on the grand size of my nose. And then she poked at it once with her finger while laughing.
A few years ago, such an incident would have really upset me. I would have turned bright red and cursed that woman under my breath. Then I would have spent the rest of the day secretly seething, and feeling very self-conscious about my appearance.
But what actually happened a few weeks back was this: Nothing.
What I once would have perceived as an insult had no effect on me whatsoever. The conversation soon ended and I went on about my day quite happily.
Last week in Munich I had another (albeit small) opportunity to take offense, when a German chap mistakenly identified me as an Englishman…
– I’m actually from Ireland.
– Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.
– [smiling] Don’t worry, it’s very hard to offend me.
Tis true. It is very hard to offend me nowadays. In this post I want to share with you the type of mindset I’ve developed that makes me pretty much immune to insults.
And then you can go post nasty accusations in the comments to test me out 
