Have you ever been called stubborn by a friend, parent, colleague, or just about anyone? It can be a cause for concern or an expected compliment.
Either way, your response is an important part of the conversation. You ought to admit it if you are found wanting. And if you know they are trying to get at you, you should give no room for flinching but reply to them in a condescending tone.
However, if they mistook your behavior for being stubborn, you should give them clarity on what your action was trying to portray. In this article, we will be looking at different things you can say when someone calls you stubborn.
20 Things To Say When Someone Calls You Stubborn
Below are 20 things you say to someone who calls you stubborn:
- I’ll Try To Pay Closer Attention And Be More Adaptable.
- Yes, That’s Why I Am Unique.
- Nobody Wants To Be Told What To Do.
- I Am Resilient And Not Stubborn.
- I Refused To Give Up And You Call Me Stubborn?
- Why Do You Think That Way About Me?
- Am I Acting Irrationally?
- I Appreciate The Compliment.
- If I Agree With You, We Would Both Be Mistaken.
- You Can Fall For Anything If You Don’t Stand For Anything
- You Are Entitled To Your Opinion, But Mine Is Not The Same As Mine.
- So That’s What You Tell People Who Don’t Comply With Your Demands, Huh?
- Who Says You Are Calm-headed Either?
- If I Wasn’t Stubborn, I Never Would Have Advanced This Far.
- What Benefits Do You Derive From Talking People Down?
- You Can’t Expect Me To Settle For Less Because I Come From A Resilient Family.
- You Expected That I Would Agree To His Demands?
- The Street Doesn’t Applaud Feeble People.
- Is That How You Describe People Who Defend Themselves?
- You Wish You Were Like Me, Don’t You?
I’ll Try To Pay Closer Attention And Be More Adaptable.”
When you know fully well that stubbornness is a part of your character, admitting it makes you a lot more reasonable. However, this is not to overrule the fact that you can be stubborn for certain positive reasons.
In this context, we are looking at stubbornness having a negative impact on your personality and others around you.
When someone calls you stubborn, they are trying to point out how you behave in order to get you to change. By simply saying, ” I will pay closer attention and be more adaptable,” makes them view you as someone who is open-minded and accepts corrections.
Yes, That’s Why I Am Unique
Despite the conventional picture of stubbornness, some people have found it more rewarding to have stubbornness as an all-encompassing trait. As a result, they carefully guide that stubborn part of themselves.
For instance, you can consider your obstinacy as one of your striking traits if you utilize it as a defense against being treated disrespectfully.
This is to say that stubbornness can be a rewarding quality if it helps you solve a problem. When someone points this out to you by saying, “You are just a stubborn head,” you can give them a response by affirming that it is one of your best qualities.
Nobody Wants To Be Told What To Do
It can be surprising how people who do not like being told what to do will clearly point out to others that they portray a stiff-necked attitude when told to do something.
When dealing with such people, let them know the obvious thing they are guilty of, which is “no one likes being told what to do.”
I Am Resilient And Not Stubborn
Oftentimes, people use words they are not knowledgeable about. It may be a misconception or due to the rampant use of the word.
Either way, you ought to correct their idea of you. Simply let them know that the behavior they consider as “stubborn” is rather resilient.
I Refused To Give Up And You Call Me Stubborn
Not everyone will commend you even when you do things worthy of commendation. This is because you have the ability to do certain things they would not try and it is a threat to them.
Instead of cringing because someone called you stubborn, you can simply ask, ” I refused to give up and you call me stubborn?”
Why Do You Think That Way About Me?
Knowing people’s reasons why they view you in a certain way is important because it clarifies your assumptions. In this regard, when someone calls you stubborn and you are not sure why, simply ask, ” Why do you think that way about me?”
Am I Acting Irrationally?
When someone calls you “stubborn”, it could be that you behaved in a way that suggested you were being irrational. As much as being stubborn can be seen in a positive light, it is mostly viewed as a negative trait.
However, you may not be aware that your rigid behavior tells you that you are irrational. In all sincerity, ask the person who calls you stubborn if you behaved in an irrational way.
I Appreciate The Compliment
Although the primary concept of a compliment is praise or applause, compliments can also have negative implications. This is to say, someone may call you stubborn because they admire you for exhibiting such traits.
On the other hand, being stubborn can be an intentional character trait that you adopt because you see it in a positive light. Hence, being called stubborn resonates as a compliment.
In this regard, when replying to someone who calls you stubborn, simply say “I appreciate the complainant.”
If I Agree With You, We Would Both Be Mistaken
Mistakes are inevitable. Anyone can misinterpret your actions in a negative way because they didn’t get the actual picture of what you were trying to portray.
Accepting their claim only validates it. In response to being called stubborn, simply say, “If I agree with you, we would both be mistaken.”
You Can Fall For Anything If You Don’t Stand For Anything
Sometimes, being referred to as stubborn means that you have proven to be persistent, relentless, unshakable, or dogged.
These are signs that you stand up for yourself in compelling situations. Let them know how being in that disposition has made a change in your life.
You Are Entitled To Your Opinion, But Mine Is Not The Same As Mine
You seldom find people who are unaware that they portray certain character traits, especially in cases of stubbornness.
Stubbornness is oftentimes a deliberate action people put up for peculiar reasons. Hence, when someone refers to you as stubborn and you do not agree with them, let them know.
They are entitled to their opinions. However, you do not agree with it because you aren’t stubborn.
So That’s What You Tell People Who Don’t Comply With Your Demands, Huh?
Oftentimes we get slammed when we do not give in to someone else’s demand, even if it is likely to have a negative impact on us.
These people are called narcissists. They want everyone to live based on their terms, not being worried about the consequences.
When dealing with such people, explain how you purposefully adopted that attitude because you didn’t want to give in to their demands.
Who Says You Are Calm-Headed Either?
Someone may refer to you as “stubborn”, disregarding their inability to similarly yield to what others say.
They possibly called you ” stubborn” to make fun of you. Either way, let them know they aren’t any different from you if they display such traits too.
If I Wasn’t Stubborn, I Never Would Have Advanced This Far
When you don’t listen to what people say because it doesn’t align with your values or goals, they tend to refer to you as “stiff-necked” or “stubborn.”
However, you are certain that listening to them would derail you from achieving your set goals. You ought to let them know that if you weren’t stubborn, you wouldn’t have attained the level you currently are.
What Benefits Do You Derive From Talking People Down?
It is expected to constantly see people who talk others down. It can be disturbing, however, what pleasure they find doing it.
A person must have called you stubborn just to make you feel bad about yourself. When faced with such people, with a condescending tone, ask them what benefit they get when they talk ill about others.
You Can’t Expect Me To Settle For Less Because I Come From A Resilient Family
The origin of a person plays a crucial role in their character makeup. Mediocre parents breed children who are likely to behave cowardly, as well as resilient parents raise children who will behave doggedly.
If your “stubborn” traits are solely as a result of your parents’ disposition towards life, then you should let it be known.
In response to a person who calls you stubborn, you can simply say, ” You can’t expect me to settle for less because I come from a resilient family.”
You Expected That I Would Agree To His Demands?
You must have encountered someone who would use a negative word to describe us because they couldn’t get what they wanted.
These kinds of people always want their demands to be met without altercations. However, if you do not meet their demands, they consider you “stubborn.”
This doesn’t make their presumptions about you right, and you ought not to be quiet about it.
Assertively ask them if they actually expect you to agree with their demands. You can use this, especially in cases where your values don’t tally with their demand.
The Street Doesn’t Applaud Feeble People
Just as it is expected that one behaves in a certain way to blend into certain environments, the street has its own language. Among many occurrences you see in the street, the need to be stiff-necked arises.
No one applauds you for being all calm and harmless. Instead, they see it as a vulnerability and use it to their advantage. So when someone who is new to these obvious truths asks about it, let them know about it.
Next time, they wouldn’t act surprised when someone behaves that way toward them and would also work on themselves to be able to adapt.
Is That How You Describe People Who Defend Themselves?
There are many people who still believe that one should walk away from confrontation, even when they are in the right stance. They have a problem with anyone who fights for what is rightfully theirs.
And I would not hesitate to call someone who defends themselves even in threatening situations “Stubborn”. Conforming to their description validates their ideology.
However, a simple question when replying to them gives them second thoughts about their ideology.
You Wish You Were Like Me, Don’t You?
What people often refer to as “stubbornness” is the ability to defend oneself or keep one’s head up in dangerous situations. They also often desire these traits because they chicken out in situations that require their resilience.
By this, they end up being recognized as cowards at the end of the day. Amidst their thoughts, you find words like ” I wish I had the mental strength to confront them” or “I lost out because I gave up”.
However, when these people see someone else behaving in that same way, they wish they were like them.
If a person like this calls you stubborn, do not take it too personally and retort by having a heated argument. Instead, simply let them know that you sense that they wish to be like you.
Conclusion
There you have it, 20 things you can say to someone who calls you stubborn. It is important that you use these responses in the right context. Ensure not to use a condescending response when you are guilty.
In the same vein, you shouldn’t use apologetics when you aren’t what they claim. I believe you now know what response to use when being called ” stubborn.”
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