I used to be pretty rude/arrogant. I was quick to judge/dismiss people based on only a few actions. And I fixed it, though this post will be very direct and (so

I used to be pretty rude/arrogant. I was quick to judge/dismiss people based on only a few actions. And I fixed it, though this post will be very direct and (some will think) harsh. But before I get to how I fixed it, I want to point out something very important. You are not that smart. Something like 90% of people think they are above average. Nearly half of them are wrong. You're not special. But even if you are, NO ONE is so <anything> that their behavior is overlooked. I once saw a guy in wheelchair get punched out because he was a dick. The dude that punched him was thanked afterwords by a lot of people. Don't think that because you believe yourself smart, others will a) even recognize that you're smart (You don't recognize that they are smart, after all, and they most likely think they are above average) b) overlook your shortcomings because you believe you're smart. I don't think you're smart. If you were, you would have realized that it is more desirable to be courteous rather than curt a long time before it started affecting your business. Here is how I fixed my problem... I realized that just because something appears to be the most efficient way to do something (in my mind), doesn't mean that it is in the real world. This is the major premise needed in changing your behavior. It really is that simple. What I started to notice was that people have experience in a lot of things that I don't have experience in. Anyone will tell you that in order to accomplish something you need to stop thinking about stuff and actually do it. The value of that is learning how things happen in the real world rather than in your mind. People know things you don't know. People can conceive things you can't. One other thing to consider: Most people don't have the chip on their shoulder that you seem to have (though correct me if I'm wrong). Most people aren't trying to convince you of how smart they are. So assume that because people don't use big words or try to sound impressive that they are of a dull mind.