It’s not your imagination; people are becoming more disingenuous and disrespectful in their person-to-person transactions. Common courtesy and civil behavior are being replaced by an in-your-face attitude that not only breeds contempt among peers, but also dampens their collaborative spirit.

Working with disgruntled and disagreeable people is not easy, but it can be done if you use the following principles to guide you:

• You risk being rejected whenever you commit yourself to a dream or vision that is different from the status quo. You also risk losing support from others when you act on your own set of principles. Think of going it alone as a means of measuring the value of your commitment.
• When forced to work on your own in a hostile setting you’re likely to fail more often. Look on failure as part of the learning process. Examine the cause and try to avoid similar mistakes in the future. When one thing doesn’t work, don’t give up—try something else.
• Have a strong belief in your worth and value. You may have faults (which others will quickly point out), but as a whole person no one is better than you are. Feel good about yourself and trust that what you do may not be right for others, but it is right for you.
• Don’t waste time with negative people, especially if you don’t see any change in their attitude toward you. Surround yourself with people who hold you in high esteem. Do what you know is right and others will soon learn that you are trustworthy.
• Do not compromise yourself and your values even if it means losing the approval of your co-workers. Life is too short to worry about what others think you should or should not do.

 Remember to hold yourself high and treat yourself well because you deserve it.