i have heard this a lot with downright cruelty or bullying. i’ve talked to someone and they have said “they could just be having a bad day!!”
you may think you’re helping if you say this, but it doesn’t help in my opinion.
I find the most straightforward response is, “would you do/say that when you’re having a bad day? Because I don’t think I would”
What if all days are bad and it becomes impossible to differentiate?
“Well in that case, he needs to learn better coping skills.”
“they could just be having a bad day!!”
It doesn’t give them the right to make sure I do too.
I think it’s true, but it’s definitely not helpful in the moment. You can treat someone who isn’t nice with a baseline amount of respect, but if their behaviour is bad out doesn’t always matter how their day is going, the outcome can be the same