I think most people can relate when I talk about having to deal with irrationally angry or overly confrontational people. Sometimes, people just need to be listened to but haven’t found the right outlets to express themselves constructively. Yelling is simply the easiest (and most immature) way for some people to secure a platform to be heard. Now, there are a few golden rules to conflict resolution and they are:
- To remain calm (but to consider leaving if the situation turns verbally abusive).
- To let the other person talk (and genuinely consider the other person’s views while validating what they say or admitting upfront if you are wrong).
- To imagine you are dealing with a different, less confrontational person. A lot of times simply having to deal with the same person over asinine issues will be enough to instigate another bout of exasperation–prolonging the conflict. A better solution would be visualize yourself dealing with your younger cousins. Someone who can occasionally be a pain but you still truly love and care about. And, on a lesser note, also someone you will likely have to interact with over the course of a lifetime so you might as well look for sources of commonality and mutual interests.
