We're all guilty of saying annoying things, but I think it's time to think about what we're saying before we say it.
1. "You look so tired!"
While you may think this is harmless and maybe showing sympathy but it's not. People don't need you to tell them that they are not well-rested, are stressed, are sick, maybe have eye bags because of their genes and so on. Everyone hates when people tell them this, so why do we continue to say it to others?
2. "Aww I'm sorry that happened, but at least, this didn't happen... (goes on to talk about self)"
Stop making everything about yourself. If someone is talking about something bad that happened to them, be quiet and just listen. Don't think about how you're going to reply with your own anecdote to counter what they said. Be courteous and don't turn it into a "who has it worse" thing.
3. "What are you?"
There's nothing wrong about being curious about others, but there's a better way to show that curiosity. Asking someone "what are you?" just shows that you view them as very different from yourself to the point that you can't pinpoint who they are. Instead of asking that, have a discussion about your background and then talk about theirs in a respectful manner.
4. "Don't be shy!"
If you could "cure" someone's shyness by simply telling them to not be shy, we'd all be outgoing by now. It makes no sense to tell someone to not be shy if that's just how they are.
5. "You're so quiet."
This goes along with the last saying. Great observation, but I am pretty sure quiet people are aware that they are quiet. Once again, telling someone that they're quiet isn't going to magically make them talk all the time.
6. "You're so lucky."
How many times have you worked really hard for something and someone just has to say it's because "you're so lucky"? There's a big difference between hard work and luck. Don't mix the two up.
7. "That's retarded."
This just shows you're ignorant and insensitive.
8. "That's so gay."
See number 7.
9. "____ isn't REAL music."
Different people prefer different types of music. Your preferred genre of music isn't superior to another person's, despite what you may think.
10. "If they live in America, they should speak proper English."
It would be great if everyone in America could speak English fluently, but sometimes it's not possible for some immigrants. New immigrants might not be able to speak English fluently, but they most likely speak multiple languages, whereas you took five years of French or Spanish and can only have intro-level conversations.
