How to Deal with Difficult People: A Comprehensive Guide

Create a safe space where both of you can openly express joy, frustration, sadness, or any other emotions that arise. Distance can refer to either physical or emotional distance, depending on your personal boundaries and what will help you stay healthy and emotionally safe. Setting time limits on interactions may help manage the relationship.

The disconnect happens because we assume we have correctly understood what another has said and/or believe that the other has understood what we have intended. But, we tend to hear what we want to hear, to fit it in with our established beliefs. Further, we tend to assume how to deal with someone who avoids conflict that people hold points of view that are stable and predictable. Each person’s identity is fluid, ever-changing, and dynamic; so, people’s beliefs, values, perceptions, and attitudes remain in flux. This becomes even more complicated when we consider human diversity.

Fear of Being Abandoned by Others

Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues. Instead of saying, “You did X,” or “You always Y,” try something like, “I have a hard time when X” or “I feel Y.” This lets you share your own perspective without blaming https://ecosoberhouse.com/ anyone else. But it requires effort on everyone’s part, so while it might offer more long-term benefits than other conflict resolution strategy, it may have less popularity than quicker solutions like compromise. Just as always accommodating can have a negative impact over time, always forcing another person to accommodate you can also lead to problems, especially when competing involves coercion.

This is what’s known as “high conflict,” the kind that takes on a life of its own, and eventually, leaves almost everyone worse off. Being conflict avoidant also impacts our relationships because we’re cutting off all honest communication with the other person. When you avoid the slightest disagreement, you’re compromising your true feelings and storing up frustration that can end up negatively affecting your health.