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Are arrogance and rudeness actually the training wheels on the bicycle of life?

Are they just for weak humans who cannot keep their balance without them?

Public Comments

1. Like yourself you mean?
2. no, because they [arrogance+rudeness] aren't necessary, and some people never learn. whereas a kid w/ training wheels might see a kid w/o training wheels and want to be able to do that, arrogant+rude people very rarely look up to the kind+cosiderate people around them. i can see what you're saying though...
3. Not exactly, it just means they learned it from someone in their past (parent probably) and haven't realized yet that they should grow out of that bad behavior. Good analogy though. Life is a very persistent teacher and eventually these people will realize they can and should choose to behave kinder and gentler. The healthiest thing you can do is to forgive individuals who are unkind, rude, or flatout mean to you because they are merely stupid human beings who have no better idea of how to behave. Hopefully they'll learn something from your example.
4. Religious People are quite arrogant and rude. Check SOME of the TV preachers I don't care to mention the names.
5. I really like the answer from 'The KILLER Anna'. Training wheels on a bicycle help a child to familiarise themselves with the way a bicycle works, and to get accustomed to it without the danger of falling (before they are ready, at least--!). However, I cannot see that arrogance and rudeness have any useful function, really. All it does is hamper our ability to learn, by closing our minds to different experiences and knowledge, and shuts out those who might teach us something. It's true, that arrogance can be a crutch for those who are perhaps insecure about themselves, I think, and rudeness may stem from the same source. I don't really know, but I can say that when I am arrogant and rude it is only my own weakness it displays. Rather than keeping my balance, arrogance and rudeness are the obstacles on the road that threaten to tip me over. Peace and blessings :)
6. and i agree with both anna and poppy :) i have never been witness to an act of rudeness or a display of arrogance which elicited something good or positive in return, they do not facilitate anything, quite the opposite, they alienate and hinder (effective communication and understanding to mention but two). the only thing i can see arrogance achieving is as acting as some sort of cement for a clique (like those who think their intellectual scorn is all that people of faith deserve). edit daveyboy: whilst honesty and confidence are admirable qualities, i think that having the ability to discern in which way best to deliver them safely across is of significant merit. also, i do not really believe that sensitivity (or its lesser sister, politeness) needs to equated with a tendency to falseness and disloyalty, do you? second edit: daveyboy: thank you for elaborating. i agree with the points you make and feel that it is perfectly acceptable to consider (in all civility) the biological imperatives which might affect us (it's not so hard, is it?). you know, to be honest, i feel that there is much, in our human endeavours, which could be illuminated by a greater understanding of evolutionary adaptations. knowing how things are, how they work, does not preclude attempting to improve upon them. thank you for this exchange, by the way, i appreciated it.
7. Arrogance and rudeness are by products or side effects of having a competitive spirit, and a competitive spirit is a virtue in my opinion. I'll always choose to deal with someone arrogant enough to stick to their ideals and principals at all costs, and rude enough to tell me that's exactly what they're doing. Than someone who tries to trick me into getting what they want with compliments and charm. I have no respect for the latter, they stab you in the back far too often. At the end of the day, I think everyone is arrogant and rude to some degree. The ones who get called rude and arrogant are just the honest ones. And honesty is always something I admire. So I'm going to have to disagree with the answers above. Wonder if I'll get called rude and arrogant.... ;D Fractal - I was playing devils advocate of course ;) But I think I did make a valid point. Sensitivity and politeness often(not always) hide malicious intent. People are competitive animals after all. I don't think we should forget that just to be polite. I agree that ideally it's preferable for everyone to be polite and sensitive to some degree. But I wont accept that as a reason for dishonesty, and if I'm faced with a choice of dealing with one of either of the two extremes I described above, then I'll still go with the rude, arrogant person. At least I know that they're being honest with me. Perhaps I've been stabbed in the back one too many times ;)
8. Fear can bring numerous behaviors in which we forget we are brothers, all in it together...until we remember.
9. They come from the desire that others should see your intelligence, and the fear of being thought stupid. They go hand in hand with a lack of empathy. Lording it over others or pointing out their mistakes or even being abrupt show that the person has not slowed down enough to see that others are also precious and human.
10. "Arrogance and rudeness are the (broom handle and monkey wrench) that have been thrown into the spokes of the wheels, on the bicycle of life! The wheels need to be trained to operate smoothly. One must also oil the gears, and perform preventive maintenance regularly, on a daily basis. One must locate the owners manuel, and follow it closely. Salaams,
11. ello bilbo baggins, xx "I have learned: Silence from the talkative, Toleration from the intolerant, & Kindness from the unkind .... " -- Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) i think we can learn lessons from All walks (or cycles) of life ...... ( Thank you for your post ) *Love-Joy-n-Blessings to ye*
12. bilbo got some great answers here. Taken together they look at it from many sides and offer reasonable answers. Looks like it will be tough deciding on a winner to this well thought out question.