Friends often have to take the high road when to comes to disagreements. How does one politely say your views are off-kilter without upsetting the other person or starting a battle royale of wits?
It does take a bit of tact to not be tacky. Often the phrase agree to disagree goes out the window when one is dealing with ego and a protagonist type of personality. We are champions for what we believe in and we will defend our cause to the death, often getting up on our proverbial soapboxes to justify said cause. On the other hand, there are those who will just come out and tell you that you just don’t think right. What is right or wrong is debatable, everyone has an opinion and should be free to express it, but what happens when it’s a close friend or even a loved family member that is telling you that you are wrong?
Initially, your first reaction might be to get your guard up or try to defend. Let’s look at this another way. When faced with a similar scenario, I often take a step back. Often, just a brief pause to allow one to think rather than speak can make or break a moment. Let the other person know that you have heard them, then after doing so, simply give this phrase, “I appreciate your perspective, thank you.”
It doesn’t mean that I agree, but it does mean that I acknowledge that person and I will consider their suggestions or input. It is a much better way to handle a situation than storming off in a huff or saying words that we might regret later. This has become my go-to when I need to smooth over things nicely, even when I don’t particularly want to.
#WISDOM, #FRIENDSHIP, #HEALTHYRELATIONSHIPS, #LIFELESSONS