Lifesavers: Don’t “Yuck” on Someone Else’s “Yum”
My friend, Stephanie Reynolds, is a smart cookie. You can always count on her for unique insight and wisdom on any variety of topics and she delivers her opinions tempered with grace and kindness. She posted this on Facebook this morning and it was so impactful and so spot on that I asked for permission to share it on my social media and here on Southern Plate.
I hope you’ll take time to read this and share it wherever you see the need.
From Stephanie:
I recently came across a great piece of advice to bring a little kindness and gracious living into the world: “Don’t yuck someone else’s yum”.
Now of course that is not talking about sins or crimes.
But, for example, if someone posts or says “I LOVE xyz movie!” It really is not our calling in life to say “That movie was TERRIBLE!”. It is embarrassing to the person who loved the movie, and makes us look like a big ugly party pooper.
If someone LOVES pineapples on a pizza, don’t say (as I have in the past 
) “EWWW!!!”. Amazingly enough, someone else’s taste buds are not my business nor under my control.
If we find ourselves faced with someone who just LOVES beans or the Three Stooges or Avocados or the Kiera Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice or something we don’t like, the best thing we can do is to say “Oh? What do you like about it/them?” then let them talk while we nod politely and encouragingly.
Perhaps they noticed something we didn’t. Perhaps we can just let them geek on about mashed potatoes or watching sports or Star Wars or toilet paper over/under or anything else someone might like that we don’t. Then we can end with “Thank you for sharing! I never thought of it that way”.
It is a small but valuable gift that we can easily give: the restraint of our negative opinion in the face of enthusiasm.
When someone strongly disagrees with me, I often tell them it’s okay for me to feel differently – there’s room in the world for more than one way to feel.
Great advice. Thanks for sharing!
I have a friend who is a picky eater. Yuck is her response to almost everything I order when we meet somewhere for lunch. I am going to tell her nicely not to yuck when she sees my yum! Thanks!
Thank you. America’s people need to practice this every day !
GOOD one here! Even my kids can understand this one!
OH what a wonderful way to do things differently and seek new opinions!!! I usually open my mouth and insert foot! So this will help me remember, not everyone is the same as I am, thinks as I do, or has the same taste. Listening to another’s opinion is really the most complimentary thing you can do for someone. Thank you so much!!!
This is so true! Thanks for sharing.