People who display these 12 behaviors need to be taught some basic manners

Some people just don’t see to care about these bad manners.

A woman with long blonde hair is smiling and talking on her smartphone. She is wearing a red sweater and standing in front of a window, with a blurred yellow background outside.

Some things are just bad manners. You can defend them all you want, but they demonstrate a serious lack of respect. If someone does any of the following 12 things, it shows that they lack even the most basic etiquette and need to be taught how NOT to behave around others.

1. They interrupt conversations.

A group of people sit around a dining table engaging in conversation. A woman with gray hair gestures with her hands while speaking. A man in a blue shirt listens attentively. The table has food, including a salad, and a vase of colorful flowers.

Constantly interrupting conversations and cutting people off while they’re talking is rude and disrespectful. That behavior shows inconsideration by saying, “I don’t value you or your thoughts enough to wait for you to finish speaking.” Any polite person with a small amount of social awareness should know not to do this. In many cases, the interrupter is doing it because they don’t respect the person talking.

2. They use their phone at inappropriate times.

Two women sitting at a table in an outdoor cafe. One woman, with her hands on her face, looks bored or annoyed while the other, in a white shirt, is focused on her smartphone. They are in front of a red wall with a window and a closed door.

There are certain times when using your phone would be considered disrespectful to others. It’s hard to have a meaningful conversation with a person when their eyes are glued to their phone and they’re scrolling social media. Furthermore, many people consider it rude to use their phone during movies and meals. That kind of behavior communicates to others that you simply don’t care about their presence or what they have to say.

3. They neglect basic courtesies.

A woman with blonde hair, wearing a gray blazer and white shirt, sits at a desk and talks to a man in a suit. She gestures with one hand, possibly explaining something. They are in a bright office with large windows and several potted plants in the background.

Simple courtesies like “please” and “thank you” go a long way in smoothing social interactions and making others feel valued. What could be a friendly, personable exchange with the use of basic pleasantries turns into more of a transaction without them. The person who is fulfilling the request may feel used or taken for granted. People remember those who are polite and have good manners.

4. They don’t respect personal space.

Two people are smiling and discussing something on a screen. One is pointing with a stylus, and both are dressed casually. They seem engaged and happy in a modern office environment.

Everyone needs a bubble of personal space. Respecting that space is one way that people show consideration for one another. Invading that bubble of personal space makes other people feel uncomfortable and defensive. In many cases, that may cause some arguments or even a fight. It’s important for people to be comfortable when socializing so everyone can be their best selves.

5. They leave messes for others to clean up.

A man in a kitchen is gesturing in frustration at a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. Plates and utensils with food residue are scattered on the counter. A small plant and cleaning supplies are visible in the background.

It’s not hard to take a few minutes to clean up after yourself. Still, many people don’t bother or don’t think about it because they know someone else will take care of it. Leaving a mess for someone else shows disregard and disrespect for the time and effort others put into keeping the area clean. People rightfully get upset by that kind of behavior.

6. They talk too loudly in public.

A young man with glasses and brown hair shouts or calls out with his hand cupped to his mouth. He wears a red and blue plaid shirt and stands against a plain white background, appearing enthusiastic or excited.

The public is a communal place where everyone is just trying to go about their day, hopefully minding their own business. That peace gets disrupted when you have people shouting or talking loudly back and forth. Most people don’t want to hear others’ business. Furthermore, talking loudly on speakerphone is incredibly rude and disrespectful. No one wants to have their day disrupted with that annoyance.

7. They are rude to service workers.

A man sitting at a wooden counter in a café is gesturing and speaking to a waitress in an apron. A pastry and coffee are in front of him. Another person is seated in the background, reading a menu. A brick wall is visible behind them.

Service workers catch a lot of abuse from the general public. Many bullies see them as easy targets because they can’t reasonably argue or fight back without jeopardizing their jobs. Others just see them as unimportant because they don’t have a “good” job despite that service being unavailable if there are no people to work it. People are people. It doesn’t matter what they do, they deserve respect.

8. They ignore invitations or their RSVPs.

A person in a black suit extends their hand holding a blank white card towards the viewer. The background is out of focus, emphasizing the hand and card.

Far too many people think that it’s okay to flake out on an invitation or RSVP. It’s rude because the planner of said party may be estimating food or other associated costs based on the people who have said they are coming, and then they end up wasting a bunch of money. Furthermore, ignoring an invitation is worse than declining because that behavior communicates that the organizer isn’t worth a few seconds to say, “No, thanks!” It’s better to say no so the host can plan accordingly.

9. They don’t practice small acts of consideration and etiquette.

Two men in formal attire stand in a well-lit room with brick walls. One is holding a door, smiling at the other, who gestures with one hand. They appear to be engaged in conversation. The setting has a modern, industrial feel.

There are many small actions that communicate respect and consideration. Activities like holding a door open, pulling a chair out, cleaning up a bit of mess, or other similar things demonstrate respect. They show that you are considerate of the people that you’re doing them for. The small acts of kindness are often the ones that others remember because so many people just don’t do them.

10. They overshare, trauma dump, or dominate conversations.

A woman with glasses and a thoughtful expression is sitting on a couch, holding a white teacup. She is indoors in a cozy, well-lit living room with soft furnishings and a lamp in the background.

Understanding how to socialize matters when practicing basic manners. Dominating a conversation makes other people feel more like an audience than a participant. Oversharing and trauma dumping are often seen as a poor understanding of social pacing and boundaries. In the right context, these things are okay. In general socializing, they’re really not, because oversharing and trauma dumping is generally uncomfortable for others.

11. They don’t say “excuse me”.

A woman with long brown hair stands against a pink background. She is wearing a sleeveless yellow dress and has a concerned expression on her face, with both hands placed on her chest.

The two words “excuse me” are the most basic of polite manners. Bumping into someone, walking in front of them, or interrupting them without acknowledging it with an “excuse me” is seen as impolite and rude. Bumping into someone often needs some form of acknowledgment because it does invade the bubble of someone’s personal space. It makes people annoyed and angry which can cause a disruption or fight.

12. They leave negative social media comments.

A person wearing a hoodie and a white mask sits at a table, typing on a laptop. The background is dark, adding a mysterious or possibly sinister atmosphere to the scene.

There is an old saying that “character is what you do when no one is looking.” Many people use the anonymity of the internet to spread negativity. Still, there are others who choose to bask in the negativity that spreads on social media. Participating in online negativity reflects poorly on one’s character because a person with good character isn’t going to entertain that. They are going to care that the negativity they are spreading is toxic and harmful.