Here’s an article you should read if you are interested in conflict resolution. The article highlights how important it is for people in all types of relationships to talk to one another with tact and diplomacy to deal with problems as they arise.
Dear Abby: I think our culture is severely lacking when we don’t teach our children how to politely and non-aggressively stand up for themselves when the need arises. People suffer in all sorts of relationships – work, family, friends – because they’re afraid of confrontation. Raising a subject that may be embarrassing and risking angering someone isn’t fun, but it’s communication.
If you have a problem, large or small, address it in private with the individual. And if someone tries to talk to you about something you’d rather not hear, be an adult, listen and respond civilly instead of reacting childishly.
We teach children to respect authority, be kind to others and be leaders – but we don’t teach them healthy confrontation, which is something we all encounter in our lives.
Talking It Out in Indiana
Dear Talking It Out: I agree with you. The kind of communication you’re describing is a skill. It requires not only a strong ego on the part of the “confronter,” but also tact and diplomacy. And the “confrontee” needs to have the ability to listen without responding with hostility to what is being said.
Dear Abby – San Francisco Chronicle