Everyone has had to come across some person in their lifetime that was extremely difficult to get along with. It maybe a boss, a friend, a
frien-
emy, a coworker, a teacher or maybe even that
barista you see at Starbucks every morning on your way to work. With all of the different types of personalities out there, not all are going to mesh well with each other.
First there is the Chatterbox:
This one is mainly directed to the girls but I know some guys out there that don't know when to shut up either. I always run into these types of people when I am in a rush trying to get somewhere, when we are slammed at work or in the checkout line at the grocery store. They want to tell you every single detail about their daily routine, what happened to their dog two weeks ago and the latest gossip on someone you have never even heard about.
That leads me to the Gossip:
You know the type of person that likes to talk about every "exciting" new detail that went on today. Who got knocked up, which celebrity got divorced, their neighbor just got arrested for cocaine, Sarah's dad just got caught for picking up a prostitute, Jimmy is cheating on Catherine with Bob, Kyle smoked a joint behind the school before he went to class and the list goes on. Just the thought of keeping track of all of that stuff makes my head spin. Who seriously has time in the day to dig up information like that and tell the whole world? and who really cares? We all have our own problems to deal with.
The Complainer:
GUILTY. I will admit, I sometimes fall underneath this category but cant we all? Whether we are complaining about our job, our parents, something our significant other did, our neighbors etc. something during the day is going to aggravate you to the point you have to find someone to tell about it whether they care or not.
The Delegator:
A.K.A Mr. Bossy. This person thinks they know everything about anything and would make the best candidate to take charge and supervise. They love to tell people how they should do their job or exactly what they should do in a situation. This does not necessarily a boss but someone who doesn't have the authority to tell you what to do. While telling them to shove it may not be the best thing to do, it sure does seem like a good idea.
Last but not least, you have the Credit Grabber:
You know the people that bring the Wal-mart cake to the party but say they stayed up all night coming up with the perfect cake recipe until they finally found that one around 3 am? These people just crack me up.
There are plenty of other types of people that can make your life difficult but I don't have the time to list them so lets fast forward on some good tips I found on dealing with them:
1. Neutrality. Don't bring up anything that could be a sensitive subject or could entice an argument. If it is hard to find something to talk about that wouldn't piss you or the other person off, talking about the weather is always a good one. :P
2. As weird as it sounds, just accept them for the person that they are. Maybe they aren't trying to be difficult on purpose.
3. If there is someone you are pretty much stuck being around for a while, try to change the way you react to them. You obviously cannot change that person but think of yourself as being on their team and not playing against them.
4. Keep your mouth shut! Well, not completely... but refrain from saying hurtful things or attacking the person completely. Think more about acknowledging their behavior than their negative traits.
5. Stay calm. It is better to discuss issues when one or both people are not heated.
6.It does help if you have some one to talk about the situation with and get a second opinion on how it should be dealt with. Chances are, they will see things in a different light which can come in handy with seeing the other persons point of view about your own actions.
7. Excuse my language, but it could be useful to grow a pair and straight up ask the person you are having trouble with, why ya'll are having trouble or why they act a certain way around you. They may not even know about any problems or any of their actions.
8. Don't forget that you are not an angel yourself. Most problems result from BOTH people in a relationship and not just one.
9. Don't think about 'winning' the argument. Think about working through the problems yall are encountering and coming up with a compromise.
10. If none of the above work: take a shot of vodka and deal with it.