THIS Is How You Should React When Unfriendly People Cross Your Path!

Rude and impolite people are unfortunately encountered in our lifetime and again. They tend to be the loudest and most persistent among our peers, and they are not easily quieted. If we can somehow avoid them altogether, we should definitely do so in the name of our peace of mind. However, it is often easier said than done. Especially in the workplace and in our neighborhood, we find ourselves pinned down as if on a platter from which there is no escape from toxic fellow human beings. If we are attacked, even if only verbally, evolution has given us 2 different exit strategies along the genetic path: Fight or flight. One half of humanity tends to switch to justification or explanation mode, while the other half buries its head in the sand and hopes that the storm will pass as quickly as possible. Both variants are not healthy for our emotional and psychological balance. Every insult and every affront sticks with us somewhere and often for a long time. Words, as we know, can hurt us a lot. But since we can't all live in a cave as hermits far from civilization, we have to deal with foul-mouthed and toxic fellow human beings somehow. Fortunately, there are ways and means to curb unfriendly and mean people at least a little bit, and to do it in a sovereign and elegant way. In this article, we'll introduce you to the 5 most effective ones.

1. Yes, you're right

Wait, what? Our adversaries and we ourselves would probably least expected this reaction. Responding to scolding and shaming with approval requires a certain amount of inner strength and composure. But it can also simply mean that one is fed up with the daily or at least regular bickering that seems to have no end and therefore leads nowhere. This tactic takes the wind out of the sails of our attackers. They absolutely do not expect approval, and besides that, their attack comes to nothing and doesn't fall on the fertile ground of indignation and outcry as they had hoped. Here, the smart ones just give in, no matter what the issue is. Our peace of mind must sometimes simply be worth it to us to prefer defense over the offense.

2. Stop

This response probably comes to mind most often, and it comes from the bottom of our hearts. Before we keep swallowing all our anger and risking a stomach ulcer or worse, sometimes we just have to pull the lever. Explaining to your aggressor in no uncertain terms that this conversation is now over may be the most healing and honest of the methods presented here. However, it is not always applicable without loss of face and fear of consequences, for example in a professional context. What makes these responses so healthy for us is that we regained control of the situation. We made it clear: No one is allowed to speak to us like that, no one is allowed to treat us badly. Unfortunately, the other side of the coin is that we are adding fuel to the fire with this response. We give our opponents immense pleasure and show them that their poison dart has hit the mark.

3. If you can't convince them, confuse them.

Another effective tactic to declare war on the sourpusses and the venom slingers without having to switch to the exhausting and undignified fighting mode is the friendly confusion game. If you manage to respond to a verbal rapid-fire with a smile or, even better, a frivolous wink, you pull the plug on this unfriendly conversation entirely without words. The opposite party will be perplexed and won't understand what's happening at all. For advanced players, this method can be played one level higher. No matter what the insult or stupid saying is that others absolutely have to throw out, answer from the bottom of your heart with a sentence that makes no sense, preferably with a well-known quote. Example: The prissy co-worker greets you with a taxing look and says, "Did you get dressed in the dark today?" Your response could be, "all I know is that I know nothing." Or "soul of man, vast land." The more profound and cryptic your answer sounds, the better. You kill 2 birds with one stone. On the one hand, she or he falls silent for the time being, because the attack unfortunately did not lead to the desired success. On the other hand, they will spend the rest of the day racking their brains as to what you might have meant. By the way, hardly anyone will ask. You won't give yourself that embarrassment. And if they do, add another load of irritation and respond with, "Just think about it." This psycho tactic should keep them busy for at least a little while, and you'll have your peace of mind.

4. Just say, "Thank you."

One of the most effective words to end any discussion is thank you. It's the verbal Teflon of all words and will politely, but firmly, make any conversation fizzle out. Best of all, there's nothing wrong with a thank you. In no law of the world is this little word considered an insult, an affront or falls under bullying. It also signals maturity and makes it clear to our counterpart that we will not stoop to his level.

5. I'm interested in your opinion

If you really want to struggle with the psyche of a rude and aggressive personality, you can choose this tactic. It requires a tremendous amount of fortitude and inner strength, but may be worth it in the end. Studies of the Dunning-Kruger effect have shown that you can catch people stricken with this syndrome at eye level by getting their perspective on things. But the conversation has to be on an adult level and civilized. Sometimes the troublemakers are really just about being heard, like angry little children when they throw themselves on the floor and vent their dissatisfaction with the overall situation. Responding to the other person and calmly listening to what he or she has to say about a particular point of view can actually prove to be the Holy Grail of conflict management in the mid to long term. But it can also backfire. If the bad person does not expect this appreciative reaction, he or she will have no choice but to retreat. The choice between flight or fight would then be elegantly returned to the opponent.

Today’s Conclusion: The wise stop to reflect

The sad truth with regard to toxic fellow human beings is: to have a factual conversation with them among adults is mostly a futile effort. They just want to spout their poison and double down on their bad mood by sharing it. The amount of St. John's wort teas and valerian drops from the pharmacy that would be necessary to calm some of our fellow human beings would be impossible to obtain. We can't help it that we take their spiteful and derogatory comments so much to heart and we can't change them. What we can do is to think about our attitude towards them. Offering minimal attack surface and hardly any reactions to their nastiness is the only way to keep them in check to some extent. The only way to win here is to refuse to play. That's it for today.