For social creatures, a key question is:
"How do I calibrate my behavior?"
If you're too scared to offend people, you'll limit yourself more than you need and enjoy life less than you could. But if you don't want to be kicked out of the herd, you'll need to curb your transgressions.
I once read a recommendation for down-hill mountain bikers: set your shock absorbers so that they bottom out once per ride. This allows the absorbers to sometimes compress fully while not constantly clanging. If you restrict the absorber too much, you'll never clang, but you'll also not experience the maximum speed and comfort caused by full absorber travel.
So, push your social limits once in a while. All of them.
A corollary to this is to not take offense to the somewhat aggressive behavior of others. They're probably seeking some negative feedback, which you should just give and move on. Don't throw a fit when someone pushes; just push back a little and go back to however you were acting beforehand. And don't be a passive-aggressive Seattle-ish type. Getting angry without saying anything is pathetic.
