Dealing with Closed Minded People

 

These are more of my favorite cemetery shots. It truly is a treat to have such beauty and tranquility so close to our house!

One of the things I have struggled with is how to deal with people who think they are right when I am pretty sure they are wrong. The following article by Arturo Guillen has some great advice!

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-steps-deal-closed-minded-people-arturo-guillen

Recommended Steps

1.   Listen. When dealing with closed-minded people, you must not take things personally. Instead, listen; this becomes more important when having a conversation with someone that is edgy and seems irrational. If we do not pay attention to what someone says in a peak of transitory anger, our oversight will only increase their anger.

2.   Keep calm and stay positive. When we find ourselves in a situation with a high emotional load,. it is difficult not to get carried away by the heat of the moment. Do not fall victim of the situation; use control breathing with slow and deep inhaling or internally count up to ten - or a hundred if necessary. This will help us not to end up as nervous as the other person.

3.   Always be courteous and respectful. Even though this is more difficult in reality than what it sounds, we need to always be respectful during these moments; getting agitated will not make things better.

4.   Analyze the situation and/or the person. Consider internal and external factors to see what’s really going on; this will help in determining the next steps and perhaps even identify the reason for the behavior.

5.   Give some space. When someone is upset or irritated, repeating what he is doing wrong in front of other people will not help; this may be taken as humiliation and you may end up being blamed.

6.   Don’t take it personally. Don't get on the defensive mode... if you put yourself at their level you will enter an endless loop; remember that drama does not go with you.

7.   Vent and release your stress afterwards. Find a positive method to release the frustration generated from these uncomfortable situations. - I decided to write this article; writing this article helped me analyze myself and share how I dealt with the situation.