List: ‘10 Ways to Deal with Negative or Difficult People’

Today’s ‘List Friday’. In May 2008 I wrote ‘I’m unable to live my life quarantined from difficult people’ [1]. Looking back, I feel that sentence results from a sense of failure. That having contact with difficult people somehow shouldn’t occur. And needn’t.

Nowadays I see that having such contact’s not failure. Rather it’s inevitable in this world of ours. No matter where we live. Even 2.6 km from a tiny hamlet, 1.3 kilometres off the bitumen, at the end of a private 1 km driveway. Once I thought I could run and hide. But now I see that dealing with difficult people can be, and should be, beneficial. That I can grow – become more confident and content – by handling those situations well.

I mainly encounter difficult people in my consulting room. Though I must say I’ve found some telephone call-centre staff peremptory and obfuscatory. In these scenarios my initial inclination’s to be combative. To meet their difficultness with mine. That’s stupid and unproductive, of course. But I still do it. Though less frequently. I think. And hope.

Against this background I was drawn to today’s list: tinybudda’s ‘10 Ways to Deal with Negative or Difficult People’ [2]. This list’s easy to read and understand. And it makes sense. Eminent sense. If you come into contact with difficult people, and who doesn’t, you may benefit from it.

P.S. A loud shout-out – and a big kiss – to darling Emily for sending me today’s list.