We've all met them.
The people that have a problem for every solution.
If you've been alive for longer than 5 minutes, you've definitely come across lot's of people you found to be very difficult to be around.
Avoiding these types of people in your personal life is easy - cut them off.
Avoiding these same types of people in your "professional/business" life isn't quite as simple.
Unfortunately, it seems we’re living in a time where it’s become very difficult (if not boarder line impossible), for everyone to get along with each other. Whether it’s with co-workers, family members or even contacts within our social media accounts, it’s more important than ever to understand how to handle difficult people. Mental Toughness is the answer.
Below is a list of some of the secrets mentally tough people use to help them handle people in any situation.
- They don’t let their feelings get in the way
Mentally tough people understand that maintaining total control of their feelings at all times is absolutely imperative (especially when dealing with a difficult person). Feelings and emotions are great, and they definitely serve a purpose, but allowing them to get the best of you when dealing with a hostile situation will spell disaster. The secret is to have a very thorough understanding of when you’re becoming emotional and to keep it under control by offsetting it with logic. Mentally tough people understand that logic and emotional are inversely related; as emotions go up, logic goes down. They have mastered their emotions and they NEVER allow their feelings to cloud their judgment.
- They’re willing to suspend their disbeliefs
This is definitely easier said than done, but mentally tough people work hard to master it because they understand how powerful it is. If you’re looking for confirmation, search no further than our current political environment. There’s a total inability for anyone to understand an opposing point of view. Mentally tough people are very self-aware. They’re able to analyze their own beliefs and also the beliefs of others - even if it’s not in-line with their own. Temporarily suspending their beliefs gives mentally tough people the ability to see someone’s stance with an open mind; devoid of any bias.
- They use compartmentalization to find common ground
In the world of mental toughness, compartmentalization is the ability to focus on one problem or challenge at a time, without allowing your emotions to “spill over” from one problem to another. This can be very useful when dealing with a hostile person or situation. Compartmentalizing gives mentally tough people the ability to keep their opposing views separate from other views they may actually agree on. Finding common ground on things that you agree on can be critical in a difficult situation. Without keeping your feelings under control, it can be very easy to automatically find disagreement on things that you might otherwise agree on – simply because you’re “emotionally charged”.
- They’re professional listeners
We’ve all heard the old saying – “There’s a reason we were given two ears and one mouth." Mentally tough people are experts at one of the most underrated skills available to humans – listening. We all have an innate desire to be heard and understood. Normally, just listening alone can help to diffuse a conflict. Listening is an interactive process and showing someone that you’re truly comprehending their words can make all the difference in the world. Mentally tough people listen with the intent to understand; not the intent to reply.