While opinions here might already be decided on this, I'm serious in asking based on something that happened at work this week.

People sneeze. Others say, "bless you" or "God bless you". I say nothing. To me, it's like saying, "congratulations" when someone farts. It's never made sense to me and I don't do it.

I've heard several reasons regarding how it all started. Some believed a sneeze meant your spirit was leaving your body long ago...does anyone really believe that now? Others say your heart stops briefly when you sneeze, but this has been proven untrue by advances in medicine, so that reason is out.

Granted, it's a nice sentiment, but I've seen people almost choke and die in public, but nobody says "bless you" in those moments or when the person is finally ok. But a sneeze still warrants it?

Nit-picky? Yes, but I don't go around telling people this is how I think of it or pointing out that I don't say it. Someone noticed at work the other day and asked why. When I explained that I just didn't think it was necessary they asked why. I explained my thoughts, calmly and nicely. I was called an a*****e.

What say you?

<aachhhoooo>

bless you a**hole!
/runs and hides

I think you're an a-hole but that's beside the point. I would have b!tch slapped anybody that called me that, or maybe said "takes one to know one"(or slit their tires late at night when nobody was around).Seriously, you're fair in saying nothing, you aren't obligated by any law of courtesy known to man.

I guess it's been a while since I've mentioned how much you rock!

Next time someone calls you an @sshole, politely tell them "no, this is an @sshole"; quickly turn around and drop your pants.

I'll admit. Theres been several occasions when I high-fived a guy friend for some UBER-awesome wind breakage, but then again I am easily amused.

I say it on the occasion, and other times don't. Around my Irish Catholic family? It's mandatory. They sent me to manners school as a child, if I don't say 'Bless you' or if I put my elbows on the table, I get whacked. Otherwise no.

And next time, go with donteatpoop's advise. Be sure to post your results immediately on here.

I can't tell you how many times I've had to resort to that maneuver.


and kx, it is kind of a**holey, but if you don't wanna say it, then don't. ORrrr... you could find a jerky saying in an obscure language and say that instead. Just tell them "it's gesundheit in ancient mongolian."

I guess that's what prompted me to start this on here. Why is it a*****ey? Someone else expecting to hear something surely doesn't (or shouldn't) reflect poorly on another for **not** saying it.

Oh - and it was a female that said it, so b***h-slapping (per Bornbad) and pants dropping (per D.E.P) aren't really options I could or would exercise. I couldn't care less what someone's opinion of me is regarding this, I just wanted to poll the masses to see what the general opinion was.

What I almost did do was call their extension after work hours and leave Dennis Leary's song "a*****e" on their voice mail.

;-/

When someone calls you an a*****e, simply say,

"Why yes I am, my father was an a*****e, my father's father was an a*****e as was his father before him. I come from a long line of a*****es"

I never say it kxmk. To me it's a waste of words. I'm not at all opposed to having someone tell me that God blesses me, but that it should happen each time I blow out my nostrils is just unnecessary to me.

I also never say "you're welcome." I wasn't raised with having to say it and it has always seemed ludicrous to me. "Thank you" for me is followed by a nod, a smile or a few words if really warranted. People sometimes enjoy wallowing in their good deeds too much in my opinion! To make "you're welcome" a standard response renders it meaningless.

And... you're an a*****e.

If this woman's world is so fragile that your silence shattered it, you were bound to upset her sooner or later.

You have 2 choices:
1. Ignore the incident and go on with your life. (This assumes she won't bring it back on you or continue it by name calling later.)
2. Show her how much of an a*****e you can really be. (see below)

Saying "Bless You" after someone sneezes is, technically, a religious observance. If you choose not to follow this practice, and are harassed for not following it, you have a valid complaint of harassment. I think this passes the "Would an average person be offended" test. Drop an e-mail to your HR department or your company's harassment hot-line. Name names, be specific. These laws are abused by every fragile personality on the planet, it is about time we used them against the conform-to-my-view-or-I-will-die idiots.

(BTW: Take it from someone who IS an a*****e and is proud of it. You may well be part of the brotherhood, but this one (non-)act of remaining silent after someone sneezes doesn't get you invite to the picnic.)

Bless you!! ;p

reminds me of Dane Cook...you'll see the relevance of it after a minute (NSFW) you can skip the part about windex and still get the whole video.

<a href='http://www.plime.com/redir.p?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juWPMCBXzjA' class='plime' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'><b>flash video</b></a>

really funny. sorry.

Anyways I wouldn't think much of it at all if nobody said bless you to me. And you certainly do not need to do it if 10 people already blessed the sneezer.

I have allergies--I sneeze often. And some bizarre trait I can't explain means that I don't sneeze just once--I sneeze three times in a row. Always.

I don't give a damn if someone says 'bless you', and truthfully, I'd prefer people not. It doesn't make me fell any better, it doesn't keep my soul inside, it just fills up space and results in my getting that 'Aren't you going to say thank you?' look.

I don't feel obligated to say you're welcome unless someone is, nor do I thank for things I don't truly appreciate (i.e., doing what you're paid to do or what is completely, reasonably expected doesn't cut it).

So I guess I'm in that a$$hole line too.

Edit to add: Someone who tries to enforce their own manners standard fails completely to grasp what manners are supposed to do, and is being very rude. Truly well mannered people make people feel comfortable and welcome no matter their mannerisms, as long as they aren't violent or mean. By NOT responding to her in a similar fashion displays better manners than her sniping.

you know i think about your a*****e but i would never think you were an a*****e. :)

You...you don't congratulate people when they fart? THAT I find offensive.

Seriously, pants dropping and b***h slapping are perfectly legitimate forms of retaliation. If the slap fits...and the fact that it's a broad...I mean, uh, woman, will probably mean you'll just offend even more. Plus she's likely to want to see your ass hole even less than if she wasn't a b***h...I mean woman. Talk about getting your own. You'll get hers too...oh, no, not like that.

I never say it either. I actually take notice when someone sneezes to see how many people will say it. Or how many times in the event of a multi-sneeze attack that people will put up with repeating it.

It boggles my mind.

I guess I'm an a**hole too.

Hey! Let's start an a**hole club! Imagine the secret handshake we can have!

I'm an a**hole, he's an a**hole, she's an a**hole.
Wouldn't you like to be an a**hole too?
Be an a**hole, drink [something that rhymes with a**hole]

Okay, what? Do you think about mine?

KOREAN REPLY: sah rong hay choo kess soom knee da!

;-)

<don't worry, it's good>

heh...Moe, I thought Plime was the a*****e club!

Although, I have to keep reminding BornBad that the thing he keeps offering up isn't his hand and I don't want to "shake" it.

Actually, I've heard it as "Bless you", or "God bless you" started during the times of the plague. Sneezing was a symptom of the plague, so if someone sneezed, others said this in the hopes that you didn't actually have, or were getting the plague.

For the most part, I say "Bless you", but it's just a learned response, like "your welcome" and "thank you" when someone opens a door for me. It's not a big deal.

Just tell them when they ask why you didn't bless them, that you were actually hoping they had contracted the plague, and thus in a few weeks you wouldn't be bothered by their pettiness over an outdated expression. Then tell them they really need to disinfect their hand, desk, whatever they just blew snot on. That, will ensure you a**holishness.