As a young teen, Marie Antoinette came from the cozy family atmosphere of the court of her mother the Empress of Austria to marry the heir to the French throne. Morals were lax at the French court and Marie Antoinette’s higher standards made her plenty of enemies, especially when she snubbed Madame Du Barry, her father-in-law’s mistress. Soon Marie Antoinette became queen, but the gossips hinted that her husband was—in these early years, at least—not interested in her. One rake, the Duc de Biron, thought she might be pining for some male attention and tried to get her alone. Witnesses reported that they heard the queen crying, “Sortez, Monsieur! Get out!” and saw the Duc come running out with a red face.

I like Marie Antoinette, and this story is a great illustration to some of the best advice a young woman will ever hear. I first saw it demonstrated by my mother, then put into words by Nancy Wilson, and more recently re-iterated by Martin Selbrede. It really is critical:

Be rude. Continue reading “Be Rude”