How to tolerate those you have a personality clash with

With a little practice, you can interact with annoying people without losing your cool or ruining your day.

In the business world and in your social life, you are likely to have to interact with people you have a personality clash with. In order to be successful, both professionally and personally, you will need to learn how to tolerate them. It is not necessary to like them in order to do this. With a little practice, you can interact with annoying people without losing your cool or ruining your day. Here is how to tolerate those with whom you have a personality clash.

Instructions

1. Accept that you are not going to like every person you meet. Nobody is compatible with every other person on the planet. You are going to hit it off with some people and other people are going to get on your nerves. Accept that this is a reality of life. It is not necessary to like every person you meet, yet you can still successfully interact with those you may have a personality clash with.

2. Limit your exposure to the other person. Personalities do not clash when they do not interact. To the extent you can control it, limit the time that you must spend around the annoying person. By limiting exposure to the person you have a personality clash with, you will have more patience to endure the occasions in which your paths must cross.

3. Resolve to be civil. When you must interact with an annoying person, take the high road. No matter how annoying the other person is, make the effort to be as civil as you can.

4. Diffuse the situation in your own mind. Make a game out of turning the other person's annoying habits into entertainment for yourself. For example, if the person says the same catchphrase repeatedly, play a drinking game in your head. Imagine that you are drinking a sip of alcohol each time he says the catchphrase and then tally up how drunk you would be if it were a real drinking game.

5. Refuse to take the bait. When you have a personality clash with someone, the other person might try to push your buttons. Refuse to play that game. Think about a retort ahead of time that you can use to sidestep the bait.

6. Walk away. Personalities cannot clash when they are not near each other. Walking away is almost always an option.

7. Think about something that makes you happy. After interacting with a person you have a personality conflict with, you are likely to feel angry or emotionally drained. Do not give that person your power. Instead, push that person out of your mind and think about something that brings you joy.

8. Reflect upon why this person gets under your skin. Sometimes we have strong reactions to other people because they challenge how we feel about ourselves. Think about what the annoying person does to push your buttons and ask yourself why you care so much about what this person says or does. Sometimes resolving issues inside ourselves makes tolerating people we have a personality clash with much easier.