Question for all of you who have a little more life experience than the rest of us:
How do you confront someone, or stand up to someone who is in an authoritative position over you without suffering the consequences too badly? I'm afraid my boss will fire me if I ask him to stop being so rude to me all the time (and he's pretty horrible). What should I do?

Well, I would need more details to give advise. It depends on what he does, and why it is a problem.

I remember working as a teenager, and thinking the bosses would be mean or rude. But they have to make sure everyone does their work, and they can not always be nice at the same time.

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what do I type here?

Complain to your boss's boss?

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"He could not plead want of employment, nor incapacity of getting his bread in an honest way, but frankly own'd it was to get rid of the disagreeable superiority of some masters he was acquainted with and the love of novelty and change."

William Defoe on Bartholomew Roberts career of piracy

You have to confront him, first. Is he rude to just you or everyone? He may just "be" that way.

I'd make it a personal request and not business. That may be easier.

If he's a booger, go to his boss then.

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Minister of Spanking

"I AM the lyrical Jesse James."

I think if you approach it in as much of a nonconfrontational way as you can...

Don't 'tell him' how to act, don't tell him how he is, just let him know sometimes you get the feeling...etc etc.

And see his reaction...

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Manu Narayan

D- Thankfully he's not rude only to me. I guess the biggest problem is that he's really short with me. He kind of blasts these orders out and I can't ever remember a time when he's said thanks. He's also really moody, and on the bad days he sort of barks at me all day. I understand that it's his job to tell me what to do, but he doesn't have the right to treat me like I'm pond scum. How do you guys suggest I talk to him?