A person is considered rude when his behavior or attitude is in bad taste for any reason. The coarse adjective has a wide variety of synonyms, such as rude, coarse, offensive, vulgar, or impolite. Similarly, there are words that can be vulgar, especially insults and vulgar expressions.
What is right in one place may be rude in another
The customs and traditions of a people are part of their daily life. Thus, if in a territory its inhabitants have the habit of spitting on the ground, it is very likely that this behavior will be negatively valued by a foreigner. This simple example reminds us that saying something is foul depends on shared cultural values.
The border between the rude and the polite can be assessed if we observe a specific behavior from the mental schemes of a community (for example, for an Andalusian some insults can be said in an affectionate sense and do not have any offensive intention, but outside their context these same insults can be offensive and vulgar).
The evolution of moral values and the example of machismo
Human knowledge is subject to permanent change. The same happens with moral values. The evolution of values can be analyzed starting from a concrete example: machismo. For centuries men have had a position of power over women. This disproportion was due to a wrong idea: the man is superior to the woman and therefore it is legitimate for him to rule over her.
The belief in male superiority has gradually disappeared (but not entirely). One of the consequences of this transformation process is highlighted in the use of compliments to women.
A few years ago, complimenting a woman on the street was socially tolerated, while today compliments are considered vulgar, that is, words in bad taste and typical of a macho mentality.
Fashion and coarse
In the context of fashion, it is possible to analyze the difficulty in distinguishing the tenuous border between the rude and the polite. A few years ago certain ways of dressing and accessories were synonymous with vulgar people, such as long hair, tattoos or piercings.
With the passage of time, that same aesthetic has ceased to be considered vulgar and ordinary and is generally accepted by the majority.
Photos: iStock - benstevens / HABY
