How do you correct your friend’s bad habits?

Almost every one of us has a friend with some bad habits or etiquette. These habits can be disgusting or simply embarrassing sometimes. Old habits, as we all know, die hard. LifeXtra takes a look at how Nigerians correct their friends’ bad habit/behaviour.

Our etiquette or mannerism when in public is very important. People like to be associated with well mannered and behaved people. If anyone sees you biting your nails, they might see you as nervous, unserious, and childish. This is why it is important to curb these bad habits that do not portray us in good light.

So, as a friend, how do you correct a friend who still indulges in bad habits that people may find disgusting or unacceptable? LifeXtra takes a look.

Thirty-year old Habila Saliu, a civil servant based in Kano, told LifeXtra that he has encountered a lot of people who have bad habits they should have stopped when they were young. He said, “I really believe this is a matter of discipline. And if parents train their children properly, some of these habits will be nonexistent in adults. How can an adult still suck their tongue when they are not babies? It is totally unacceptable. I had this friend that used to eat very noisily whenever I and my other friends go out with him. We tried to avoid eating in public places because he will surely embarrass us. He would eat and mess everywhere up. It was really disturbing that most of my other friends started avoiding him entirely. So, I called him and told him why our friends have stopped associating with him.

“He felt really bad about it and he tried to change. Although it wasn’t easy but he learned to consciously eat properly without embarrassing himself and others. So, I suggest if we notice our friend has a bad habit, we should correct them with love because if we don’t tell them. It is possible that no one will,” he said.

Emmanuel Esther, 22-year-old student who resides in lagos, told LifeXtra that she does not have the patience for correcting anybody.

“Not to sound rude or mean but I don’t think I have the patience to correct a friend that indulges in bad habits. I know everybody is not perfect but there is no way they don’t know that what they are doing is not good, yet they do it anyway. So, if they don’t think it is embarrassing or bad, who am I to complain? I had this friend that used to bite his nails. His nails were really horrible and disgusting to look at. I told him to stop one day and he said it isn’t my business. They know but don’t want to change. So, I would rather leave them alone than correct,” she said.

Twenty-six-year old April Osamuyide, an entrepreneur from Benue State, spoke to LifeXtra about how she would correct her friend. “I actually have a friend that used to hold spit in his mouth. I found that really strange because he is not a woman. I don’t mean to be stereotypical but it is women that mostly do this. It was so disgusting and he did it all the time. I got frustrated one day and told him that if he doesn’t stop doing that, he would have to look for a new friend. Surprisingly, he has stopped. The thing is that most of them don’t do it consciously; neither do they think it’s much of a big deal. But when you talk to them about it, they might change. However, talk to them in private and not in public where they might feel embarrassed,” she said.

Ikudaisi Adetomiwa, 32-year-old painter, told LifeXtra that he believes in correcting with love. “When people do this, I believe in correcting them with love. It will further demoralize them if they are cautioned about their bad habit in public rather than in private. I have not had any personal experience. But I have witnessed a scenario where a woman sneezed openly and the liquid splashed on another woman. We were on the same bus. The other woman totally embarrassed the woman who sneezed. I could see how bad she felt. I understand the offended woman’s plight but she should have taken it easy. So, we should try our best to correct people gently,” he said.