We encounter mean people in our daily lives. They are unavoidable and seem to be everywhere. Here are some tips for dealing with a mean person.
Resist the urge to make an opinion
Sometimes when we see a person being mean to us or others on a particular occasion, we make an opinion about them. We think that they are incurable and are not worth talking. One should not judge a person by singular events and try to look at the situation. A person would not be mean or rude to anybody for no reason at all, try to look at the other side of it too. They might be suffering from some illness or maybe under pressure because of how their life is going. You should feel sorry for them and try to help them out. Try to question yourself why a person would behave in such a manner in normal circumstances?
Maintain a positive nature
Maintain a positive attitude throughout your interaction with such a person. Let him be surprised at the fact that how little his behavior is affecting you. This will show him that you are totally indifferent to his rudeness and mean acts and he may stop trying be so mean all together. Show him the right way and be the perfect example. This may stir his conscience and make him feel guilty and aware about his own nature. Do not let his behavior reflect in your own self because that would just show that he has won the battle.
Act , do not react
People generally are mean to others when they are frustrated or irritated and in some cases when they are jealous of the other person. This shows that they are mentally depressed and on a low. They need help and attention. What people often do is that they wait for the person to get into such a mood and then they start trying to make them feel better. Remember, prevention is always better than cure. You can always keep trying to help them lift their mood even if they are mean to you. Try laughing at their jokes, even if they point to you or compliment them in some way or other. This will totally disarm them and make them be more friendly towards you. They will also remember your kindness in future and will not feel that they are competing against you, which will automatically bring down their bitterness and mean attitude.
Control your emotional response and listen carefully
Do not be emotional about anything that a mean person says because you know what they are like. But you should not take it as an attack on you and also try to learn from their criticisms. One may feel that the person they are talking to is just mean by nature and would never have anything worthwhile to say, but this thinking is wrong. They may help us improve ourselves if we just listen to them. Listening to them properly will make them think more before they open their mouth to say something to you. And this show of interest will also gain you some goodwill.
Nullify their negativity
It is always hard dealing with a mean person when they are at their full flow. But you can always take care of this by being nice to them. If they find that you are being nice to them and giving them importance, then this will totally disarm them. Mean people do not have many admirers, so having found one in you, they will want to be in your good books. You will need to have some patience with this because it will take time for them to realize and accept that you are being nice to them. If you try to be mean, they might just go up another level to get even.
