Karen may seem discordant at times, but it may help to remind yourself that part of your job involves getting along with colleagues – she likely doesn’t intend to be annoying or mean-spirited!
She lacks social skills and exhibits a nervous giggling tic; perhaps you could show some sympathy towards her? When she returns from leave, it might help to ease her back into work more slowly.
1. Look for common ground.
Karen may not be the brightest bulb, but it’s important to remember she’s still human. Though she lacks social skills and may harbor weird beliefs about dentists and pigeons as well as having an awkward nervous giggling tic, Karen does have some redeeming qualities, like hard work ethic and caring about family despite her bad rep. There are certain limits she won’t cross, such as hurting someone’s feelings or jeopardizing Grace’s business ambitions.
Take note: Karen may not intend to be rude; rather, she doesn’t fully grasp how we operate as Americans. For instance, many Karens don’t understand our fixation with time management and scheduling; we might think of rushing from appointment to appointment as efficient; they might take it as rudeness towards those being left behind.
As in, Karen doesn’t understand why we don’t hold hands in public or kiss each other on the cheek, something most Karens would find extremely strange and rude; they tend to prefer being more private with each other.
Karen’s background is also key to understanding her character. As seen in Will & Grace episode, Karen grew up poor due to a brutal regime in Burma that continues to oppress its internal Burman population; therefore it should come as no surprise that she harbors some animosity towards Americans.
At its core, the key to dealing with someone who appears entitled is finding common ground with them. While putting people into their place can backfire on us all; telling someone they can’t do whatever they want often causes a fight over entitlement that can make everyone miserable. Instead, offer help that they might have overlooked before; for instance if someone is beginning musical training they could encourage practicing in less noisy conditions.
2. Ask for their perspective.
Karens often take an uncaring and dismissive approach to interactions, showing an indifference towards the needs and preferences of others. When viewpoints diverge from their own, Karens tend to view such differences as personal attacks that must be immediately resolved – this reveals their insecure and self-centered mindset.
These individuals often make calls to law enforcement or the Better Business Bureau over minor inconveniences, in an effort to sidestep dialogue and use authoritative intervention instead. They claim discrimination or unfair treatment even without supporting evidence, thus deflecting responsibility while creating an unpleasant environment.
Entitlement destroys the mood of those around Karens and has a detrimental impact on their own mental health. Karens with entitlement tend to experience more depression and anxiety than people without such characteristics – reflecting their unhealthy and destructive lifestyle choices. It may be easy to have empathy for entitled individuals from a distance, but up close they become repelling.
Example: Karen may become upset when other customers get the window seat before her. In these instances, it’s essential to remind Karen that her issues with other customers rather than with the establishment itself are being raised; showing your gratitude towards those attempting to serve her can go a long way towards appeasing both parties involved.
One way to defuse an unpleasant situation is to seek her perspective. Saying, “Can you explain your side of the story?” can help her recognize how her behavior is creating tension and negative atmosphere for all involved parties.
Bionic recently conducted a comprehensive global analysis to ascertain which countries people were most likely to meet Karens. Their methodology involved ranking all complaint-prone countries by number of women named Louise who complained most; shockingly enough, one of these was America – making Karen sightings one of the more likely occurrences!
3. Ask for their help.
Memes rarely become as ubiquitous and widely recognized as that of White, middle-class American Karen – she’s become an international sensation, inspiring consumer advocacy groups such as Elliott Advocacy and Clark Howard’s Consumer Action Center.
Conflict between the KNU and non-state armed groups has caused internal divisions among Karen communities. This has hindered its ability to articulate a unified political position on behalf of constituents while contributing to human rights violations.
As Karen community division has deepened, so has its need for various “peace groups” to negotiate on behalf of constituents. These peace groups, made up of former military or non-state armed group officers, must negotiate with both national and regional governments in Burma as well as Hpa-an Special Industrial Zone government in particular; often subject to state scrutiny, forcing these peace groups to adapt their agenda in order to satisfy government requirements; this often results in tension-filled environments and lack of trust within regions like Hpa-an Special Industrial Zone government alone.
4. Ask for their support.
Asking Karens’ support can be an effective strategy when dealing with angry or entitled Karens. To be effective, be as specific and concise in your requests. State what it is you require from them as possible as well as why their participation matters; once presented let them decide their level of participation.
If they agree, then finding solutions that benefit both of you can be possible. If they disagree, let them know you are willing to negotiate and find a middle ground solution that benefits both sides.
The Karen meme can be found everywhere — imagine those self-righteous middle class or higher white American females who insist upon speaking directly with management, refuse to wear masks, and use their privilege to punish black or brown Americans. While such behaviors do exist, they also indicate a much wider problem: people are now complaining more aggressively and with greater frequency about specific issues.
Bionic recently conducted a comprehensive analysis of Trustpilot complaints to identify where the biggest Karens exist globally and in the U.S. Contrary to popular belief, however, Louise was responsible for over four percent of them and Ann and Jane followed close behind her; Karen placed eighth overall.
Bionic’s Dani Weller suggests staying calm and listening carefully when dealing with Karens. To explain situations objectively and not emotionally, as well as keeping conversations on topic and not getting personal. Finally, she advises never engaging in an argument with a Karen as this will only aggravate their anger further and will likely end in them being handcuffed to their dippy van in any event.
