4 Ways to Coexist With People You Dislike

At work or at play, once you know the players you know the game!

Image by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

We have all encountered people we dislike. The setting could be at work or at a party. There are many reasons why we dislike someone: Perhaps they are arrogant, rude, or maybe they have said something to offend you. You may sense that this person is dishonest, or has a disrespectful attitude. However, causing a scene and being confrontational is not going to fix the problem. Civility is your friend in this case.

Regardless of the setting, we have to learn to get along with people we do not like. This is a fact of life. This doesn’t mean we turn a blind eye to dubious behavior. We can know what someone is about and co-exist with them for the sake of our family, friends, and coworkers.

Naturally, people can feel the tension in a room. None of us like being put in the middle of awkward situations. We care about our co-workers and friends so we should make an effort to avoid making them feel uncomfortable.

When you make an effort to keep the peace, people appreciate it. Nothing spoils a gathering like a conflict or passive-aggressive behavior. On the subject of work, behaving aggressively with a coworker can cost you your job. Let’s face it: It’s not worth it.

There are a few ways to interact with people that you do not like and maintain your sanity. I have personally tried these and they work!

1. What do you have in common?

Although it may be uncomfortable at first, you may start to like this person after spending some time with them. Everyone deserves a second chance. I would ask them some questions, such as: What you like to do for fun? where you are from? You never know, you may find some common ground with this person.

2. Let go of grudges

I covered this subject extensively in my article “Holding grudges and why they hold us back”. If someone has wronged us, sometimes we will hold in these negative feelings and they affect our interactions with this person.

It is a powerful thing to forgive someone. You are setting yourself free. This isn’t for them, it is for you. This will improve your attitude during the times you have to be around this person. It may even ease…