People are desperate to be seen and heard more than ever before. Lately, we have witnessed conversations turn into arguments that don’t always show us or others in the best light. What if we could take the time to intentionally communicate more effectively? Instead of allowing arguments to escalate into inflammatory and hurtful altercations, we have the power and the choice to dial it back and still share our opinions.
Especially during this tumultuous year, arguments and disagreements have strained and even broken relationships. If this has been an issue for you or someone you care about, you should know that the way you communicate can potentially diffuse the situation, and it doesn’t mean just giving in.
The tactics we can use to keep things civil vary between personal, work and social media disagreements, but they all involve knowing your true motive and knowing and respectfully listening to “your audience” whether they are across the breakfast table or commenting on your Facebook thread.
One thing we talked about is the USB method: Use humor, Stay calm, and watch your Body language. (Try plugging that into your next argument!) The humor aspect may not be appropriate in all situations but can especially be effective in more personal conflicts to diffuse a tense dispute. Of course, there are many other things to help smooth things over and that is where our expert comes in.
Imagine Yourself decided to invite expert guest, Lena Antoon, Communications Professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, to explore the dynamics of how we can learn to deal with disputes within the family, the workplace, social media and the world in general. Whether it’s politics, the effects of coronavirus, racial justice, or a multitude of issues, our country is obviously very divided right now. We believe there are ways to stay true to ourselves as we converse with those who have vastly different viewpoints, and this episode shows us how to accomplish that task. Listening is the first step to learning! We hope you’ll listen in for effective ways to handle disagreements in the personal and political arenas.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
