Dealing with Angry People and Overcoming Fear and Personalizing Anger
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you are facing an angry person? It could be a customer or friend, and their anger is directed at you.
The feeling can be overwhelming, lonely, and frustrating. You might not understand why they are so angry, and reasoning with them seems impossible.
However, there are ways to avoid being the target of anger and, at the same time, deal with the situation. Join me in exploring three approaches to dealing with angry people and two strategies for overcoming fear and personalising anger.
Avoid Being the Target of Anger
Picture this: You are at work, and the customers service representative is frustrated because their order is taking too long. Suddenly, they snap at you, and their anger becomes directed towards you.
How do you avoid being the target of their anger?
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First, try to understand that the customer’s frustration is directed at the situation, not you personally.
If you take it personally, then it becomes easy to snap back and escalate the situation. Instead, try to put yourself in their shoes and understand what they are going through.
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Second, try to reason with them calmly, and avoid getting emotional. Once you start getting emotional, it becomes hard to maintain control of the situation.
Work on Yourself First
Sometimes, you might be the one who snaps at people whenever they irritate you. It could be triggered by little things such as noise or someone taking too long to respond to a text message.
How do you work on yourself to avoid snapping at people?
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First, take a deep breath before responding to someone.
This approach helps you to gather your thoughts and respond calmly.
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Next, try to cultivate emotional control through activities such as meditation, exercise, or practicing mindfulness.
This way, you avoid getting triggered by little things and snapping at people.
Understand What Doesn’t Work
Sometimes, people might try to deal with anger by using tactics that don’t seem to work.
For example, sympathizing with the person and trying to bargain with them or even pushing them over is unlikely to resolve the underlying issue. Instead, the best approach is to try to defuse the situation.
This method requires you first to understand the root cause of the anger. Once you have identified the primary issue, work towards resolving it instead of trying to use tactics that don’t work.
Overcoming Fear and Personalising Anger
Now, let’s explore two approaches that can help in overcoming fear and personalising anger.
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Don’t show fear since this approach makes you vulnerable.
It’s easy to feel afraid when someone is shouting and making empty threats, but showing fear only fuels their anger.
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Don’t take anger personally.
Sometimes, people are just angry, and it has nothing to do with you. Hence, it helps to defuse the situation by acknowledging their emotions without getting emotional yourself.
Distract the Angry Person
Sometimes, it’s tough to deal with someone who is angry, especially if they are easily irritable or excessively aggressive. In such situations, it helps to distract them by changing the topic or offering them an alternative form of help.
For example, you could suggest they take a break and come back to the situation later when they have calmed down, or you could offer a different perspective to the conversation. By providing a distraction, you get them to calm down, and this helps to avoid a physical altercation.
In conclusion, dealing with angry people and overcoming fear and personalizing anger is not easy, but it’s possible. When faced with such situations, it’s essential to understand that the person’s emotion may not always be directed at you personally, and reasonable communication can go a long way in defusing the situation.
By taking control of your emotions and not taking things personally, you can help to de-escalate the situation and bring about a peaceful resolution. When stuck, it never hurts to distract them with an alternative and more peaceful form of help.
Listening Effectively and Empathizing
Effective communication is vital in any relationship, be it personal or professional. Listening to others is a critical aspect of communication, but listening effectively requires more than just hearing what someone is saying.
It involves understanding, interacting, and being open-minded. In this section, we explore three approaches towards effective listening and empathizing.
Listen and Pay Attention
One of the essential aspects of effective listening is paying attention to what the other person is saying. It involves being present in the moment and actively engaging in the conversation.
This way, you can understand their perspective, thoughts, and feelings. Active listening requires you to put aside any distractions and make eye contact with the person.
It would help if you also provided feedback by nodding or asking questions to clarify what the speaker is saying. Moreover, avoid interrupting the person talking and wait for them to finish before responding.
Empathize with Angry Person
In situations where someone is angry, empathizing with them can help de-escalate the situation. Empathy involves putting yourself in the other person’s shoes, understanding their point of view, and responding accordingly.
Empathy is about progressive communication rather than reactive communication. It includes paraphrasing what the other person is saying to ensure that you understand their perspective.
For example, you could say, “If I understand you correctly, you’re upset because I didn’t meet the deadline.” This way, the other person feels heard and understood, which can help defuse the situation. Avoid arguments by acknowledging the person’s feelings without necessarily agreeing with their sentiments.
An example could be: “I understand you’re upset, and I’m sorry that I made you feel that way. What can I do to make things better?” This approach helps maintain a calm state and avoids escalating the situation into an argument.
Knowing When to Contact Authorities
Anger-fueled situations can quickly become dangerous, and in some cases, it may be necessary to contact the authorities. Knowing when to call for help is crucial for everyone’s safety.
If you find yourself in a situation where someone is angry and becoming increasingly aggressive, and you cannot defuse the situation yourself, you should seek help. You can contact the police or emergency services to come to the scene and handle the situation.
Furthermore, situations where the other person’s anger is causing damage to property, threatening violence, or physically assaulting someone require immediate action. It may be necessary to remove yourself or others from the situation’s vicinity and contact the relevant authorities immediately.
In conclusion, effective communication involves listening and empathizing with others, seeking to understand their point of view, and responding appropriately. Active listening involves paying attention, avoiding distractions, and providing feedback.
Empathy involves understanding the other person’s point of view and responding progressively rather than reactively. Knowing when to call for help and contacting authorities is essential in anger-fueled situations that may become dangerous.
Always prioritize your safety and others in such cases. In conclusion, dealing with angry people and overcoming fear and personalizing anger requires effective communication, emotional control, and empathy, among other things.
Avoiding being the target of anger by understanding the root cause of the emotion and defusing the situation remains crucial. Moreover, working on oneself first, avoiding taking things personally, and distractions are valuable approaches to overcoming fear and personalizing anger.
Listening effectively and empathizing starts with paying attention, understanding the other person’s point of view, responding progressively, and acknowledging their emotions. Finally, knowing when to contact the authorities in anger-fueled situations is critical for everyone’s safety.
Applying these approaches has the potential to bring about positive changes in our relationships with others. It is essential to prioritize effective communication, emotional control, empathy, and safety in all interactions.
