When I recently sent an email to my list promoting an info
product of mine, subscriber PT immediately replied:

“Anything to make a buck Bob.” Which is obviously a mean-spirited
put-down.

When my assistant Jodi saw this, she emailed me a one-word
comment: “Rude!”

If you are an internet marketer, participate in social media, or
are otherwise online, you will invariably have people say rude,
snarky, or insulting things to you.

Two issues: Is it ever justified? And how best to deal with it?

I can think of only 4 instances that warrant a strong and angry
response to an email that has been sent to you:

#1–It is a highly deceptive spam message designed to fool and
cheat the recipient.

#2–It makes value judgments on sensitive or controversial social
issues — religion, race, death, taxes, and politics — that you
find offensive. And so you fire back.

#3–It is a blatant lie about you or someone you like or admire.
Or maybe it is not an intentional lie, but it is false
nonetheless.

#4–It criticizes you, not in a constructive way, but in an
ill-mannered way designed to offend.

Now you have two options for dealing with this rude insult.

You can try to defend yourself. But that is a waste of effort and
doesn’t work 99% of the time.

The reason: you cannot use logic to remove from a person’s mind a
thought that was not put there by logic in the first place.

Arguing online wastes a tremendous amount of time and emotional
energy that is better dedicated to your work, family, or other
interests.

The second option for dealing with a rude subscriber is simpler
and far less stressful.

I immediately unsubscribe them from my list, block them from my
shopping cart, and also block any future emails they plan to send
me.

That way they are out of my life. My stress is eliminated and I
can get back to business.

Do I spend time thinking about their derogatory comment once I
have blocked them from communicating with me online?

No. Except to occasionally incorporate a tale of their stupidity
and ignorance in an essay like this as an object lesson for my
readers.