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Beautify Your Confrontion Skills. PDF Members

shahbaz baig

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I’d advise you not to respond to another person if...

  • It would likely offend someone, without having any realistic possibility either of resolving the situation or improving the relationship. You may genuinely care about the person, or the relationship may be truly important to you (pragmatically or otherwise). So there’s no good reason to risk alienating them by being more candid about, or negatively evaluative of, their behavior than they can handle emotionally. Some people are kind, loyal, and supportive, but also quick to take offense and highly reactive to criticism. Other people's rigidity makes it virtually impossible for them to appreciate a differing viewpoint. So it’s just foolish to say something that would only distress them and accentuate the differences between you. If these individuals say or do something that bothers you, it’s generally best to try to overlook it and, internally, find a way to resolve your immediate frustrations with them rather than confronting them directly.

  • It would hurt their feelings. If you want to act in a way that’s tactful, considerate, and caring, you certainly don’t want to make a gratuitous comment on another person’s, say, “bad hair day.” Even if they specifically request feedback on their appearance, it’s only charitable to minimize how their hair looks and focus on what in their self-presentation is more becoming. If they turn out to have a strong self-image, you’ll have that much more latitude to respond frankly, but at first it makes sense to ponder how answering candidly might affect them. The same rule holds true if someone has said something naive, misinformed, self-contradictory, etc. Would it simply hurt the person—and your relationship—to simply utter the first words that come to mind, without first considering the negative impact your response might have?

My advice might seem to echo the platitude, “It’s better not to say anything if you have nothing nice to say.” But the reluctance to speak out to avoid hurting another’s feelings really isn’t about suppressing your expression—which, generally, I don’t recommend. It’s about not needlessly, imprudently, or harshly responding to someone who has acted in a way that, in the moment, has made you uncomfortable.​

  • It would make you seem defensive, closed-minded, or even cantankerous. If someone is offering you constructive criticism, it may be important to put your ego aside and conscientiously evaluate the legitimacy of their viewpoint. In such cases, it’s much better to remain silent, listen attentively, and only then give a response (if at all). Whether, in the end, you agree with their unfavorable appraisal or not, it’s still in your best interest to open-mindedly assess its validity. For while you may be reluctant to hear it, what they have to say might still potentially be beneficial. If you can’t resist the immediate impulse to defend yourself, you may miss out on a valuable opportunity to learn something important about yourself.

  • It would only further intensify someone’s anger. When someone is far too fired up to listen rationally to anything you might say, it’s worse than useless to respond to them. Any response will probably be premature and serve only to make matters worse because it’s likely to be experienced as an interruption, as though you’re not really listening or taking the person seriously. In such cases—if there’s to be any hope of ultimately resolving the situation—it’s essential to devote all your attention to hearing someone out and giving them every chance to fully air their grievances. Only then might they be open to hearing your contrasting viewpoint, or interpretation.

It’s also essential to avoid any knee-jerk, defensive reaction that will probably only heighten the person's animosity. When you realize that the other person is clearly overreacting, the best thing to do is stay present and mindful, look at them directly (non-evasively), and fully attend to what they’re so vehemently saying. That way, you’ll optimize the chance that, feeling heard by you, they’ll eventually calm down. Then, and only then, does it make sense—gingerly—to express your alternative perspective.​

Besides, you may need to calm yourself down during such a confrontation. The person may be saying accusatory things that feel not simply exaggerated, but unjust and even abusive. Such self-soothing will help you to read between their impassioned lines and get a better sense of how they may, deep down, have been hurt by whatever you did or said. Not that you necessarily intended to hurt the person, but what you did may have (perhaps unconsciously) reminded them of some past experience that's still negatively charged for them. If, on the other hand, you impulsively react to them without understanding something of the dynamic behind their vocal ferocity, such a response may only worsen the situation.​

  • It would only intensify your own anger. Following your impulse to attack a person who just upset you is only likely to exacerbate things. Emotions—not just anger, but anxiety and depression—are best kept at moderate levels. When they start to become really pronounced, your better judgment may be seriously compromised and you can react in ways you’ll later regret. Better to hold your tongue and do whatever is required to calm yourself—deep, abdominal breathing; mindfulness meditation; progressive muscle relaxation; visualization, etc.—than blindly follow an impulse to retaliate against the person who provoked you.

  • It’s simply impossible to respond judiciously in circumstances where you’re feeling so disturbed that you’re on the verge of “losing it." Carefully monitor what’s going on inside you: Can you feel your face beginning to flush? Your heart rate rising? Your hands beginning to tremble or shake? Your stomach fluttering like a butterfly? Or perhaps you're experiencing a thunderous, whole-body energy surge? These are all clues that your emotions are threatening to overtake your logical faculties. Take a deep breath and endeavor to evaluate the rationality of what’s going on between your ears.

  • It would dignify—or give credence to—some spiteful individual's degrading of you. There’s no good reason to respond to anyone whose prime motive is to taunt you. When, out of hostility or malice, another person stridently attacks something you said or wrote, responding to their verbal venom may give their words an authority they hardly deserve. The familiar expression, “I won’t dignify that with a response," applies here. Most third parties would grasp that you avoided reacting to someone else's comment not because their defamation was righteous but because what they said hardly warranted a response. Internet snipers, for example, can hurt you only with your consent. Ironically, your power in these situations comes from ignoring their rhetorical jabs. In most instances, you’re in no way obliged to respond to belligerent, non-constructive criticism. If someone is gratuitously attacking your character, it’s senseless to try to defend yourself or to sneer back at them. The best way to settle the matter is through silence, which leaves yourself much less open to further onslaughts.


  • It could lead you to engage with someone whose goal is to ensnare you. When someone baits you into an unwinnable verbal duel, it's probably because it affords them the perverse gratification of acting out their contentious, argumentative predilections. If you get into the ring, it’s virtually guaranteed that a TKO will ensue—that is, stooping to their level is already a defeat. As Mark Twain said, “Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.” If someone has already prodded you into responding to them, and is pushing for a second round, it’s wise to cut your losses and call it quits, recognizing that they’re only goading you to partake in an ongoing exercise in futility—or foolishness. Such bullying is best ignored, especially if they’re only indulging in mudslinging to feed illusions of being stronger or superior to others.

  • It could reinforce a behavior that needs to change. To close in a completely different direction, when young children have a tantrum, this is their way of getting attention (however negative) or manipulating a situation to get their way. With few exceptions, it’s typically best not to react to such unruly behavior (in preschoolers or adults) but, tactically, to ignore it, especially since an active response might inadvertently strengthen the impulse. Children need to learn how to deal with the inevitable frustrations of life. If their acting out of control yanks your chain to the point that you defer to them, you’re actually “teaching” them to act that way to maximize the odds that they’ll get what they want. And that’s hardly in your—or their—best interests.
personally i am taciturn guy and mostly avoid to provide sensitive intelligence based info of my country. but i love to gather intelligence from other's just for my self. otherwise i could have senior member label here on PDF within 4 years.​

i personally experienced here on PDF by reading other's Arguments, some times with my self too, one of them i want to emphasize & share with you that happened recently.

i congratulated to A team for winning
Congratulate A Team..

Now this time i think A Team didn't show any retarded, overconfident behavior like A Team did with Pakistan team.

Once again A Team Congratulate for the winning. and best of luck for the final

Then another person belong to A Team respond me with retarded behavior and 6 other persons liked his retarded post

images-4-jpg.412967


Stop parading your small heart everywhere.


I decided to not reply him on the time but accordingly to Internet Psychology which he replied me. and Wolla i Got the chance after two days. because innallaha ma'as sabireen

a word is enough to the wise..
England won the final just because of your this behavior, you are the responsible. and that's what i have been waiting for, to reply your restarted comment
kindly accept my slap on your face also those liked the comment of the culprit of your woman team defeat @member1 @member3 ............................ @member6​

you guys dont deserve appreciation just like i appreciated your team


And non of them replied me back which shows their guilt.
i know this is childist method but believe me this is exactly the method to convey my message specially for Pakistani members on PDF to beautify your confrontation skills.​
 
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I have a strong hunch that this website has done Pakistan more harm than good. There are plain people in this world and others like them for their simplicity. And this was the impression most Pakistanis used to create. And then there are exuberant people and others like them for their brilliance. One can argue that Indians are mostly like that. But Pakistanis come here and try to act all exuberant and stuff with their plain minds. And thats repulsive to others. I think now Pakistan is less liked inside the country and outside the country.
 
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When engaging in a debate yes that should be applied, but if you've already established a rapport with some members and get eachother - a little banter won't harm
 
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When engaging in a debate yes that should be applied, but if you've already established a rapport with some members and get eachother - a little banter won't harm
My policy is a little different grill em and make em scream in pain :devil:
@PakSword
 
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Grilled food is always good and quite healthy as well..

I concur, grilled food is just about always good and healthy.

Although I must confess, I do fall victim to some seductive fried foods sometimes :eek:
 
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