Conflict and Communication

Over the years, I have discovered that people have many different ways of handling conflict. Some people are up front about it and face the facts to clear it all up. Others like to hold back until it explodes into a big ordeal. A few of my friends haven’t quite figured out how to deal with confrontation…and that’s OKAY! It is okay if you’re still learning, as long as you know you aren’t perfect and try your best to own up. Even I am still learning…Sometimes it’s hard to communicate to people who don’t know how to communicate for themselves.

Here’s a few words of advice to the person who is dealing with people who can’t confront issues…

1: Be Patient

This may seem obvious, but sometimes I forget to remember this as well. It is very important to remember that no one’s minds are the same! Thought processes are different for everyone and just because you don’t see a problem with something doesn’t mean that others will view it the same way. Just be patient and it’ll be figured out.

2: Try to Understand

Place yourself in the other person’s shoes and try to understand where they are coming from. Picture their family and how they grew up as opposed to you. People come from all walks of life and your friends childhood was most likely different than yours. Also be sure to remember days in their life of significance, this way you have some clues as to why they may be acting strange to uncomfortable.

3: Work on Communication

Maybe there are people in your life who refuse to go to bed angry and would rather stay up all night discussing what went wrong to make peace faster, like me…or there are people in your life that need a few days to calm down before addressing the issue. Figure out what kind of person you are dealing with and this will help you recognize why you are either getting the silent treatment, or if they are bugging you because they care.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: It is important to remember that everyone’s feelings are different and although you don’t understand the other person’s view of view, it doesn’t make it any less valid.