I remember a day at my job when things suddenly took a sour turn. One of my coworkers, who I’d always thought was just a bit gruff, crossed the line from being blunt to being downright hurtful. That morning, I was reviewing a report we both worked on and realized it contained some errors. I approached this coworker nicely, thinking we could talk it through.
Instead of calmly hearing me out, she raised her voice and started making pointed remarks about my competence. She kept interrupting me, dismissing any input I tried to share. At one point, she even said something like, “You can’t handle real work,” right in front of another colleague. It was embarrassing, and I felt my cheeks burn with a mix of confusion and frustration.
Afterwards, I tried to focus on my tasks, but I couldn’t quite shake off the sting of those words. That day taught me how one person’s behavior can impact others more deeply than they might realize. It also made me recognize that speaking up for myself was important, even if it felt scary or uncomfortable. Although that incident was tough to experience, it reminded me to stay strong and assertive, letting the workplace know when something feels wrong.
