PERSONAL SPECIAL ....UP CLOSE, BE IMPERSONAL

UP CLOSE, BE IMPERSONAL

Closed-minded people can take a toll on you.
Here are five intelligent ways to handle them

Closed-minded people are everywhere. It could be your colleague giving you unsolicited advice or a friend who thinks only he is right. They feel superior, are dismissive of others' opinions, are unwilling to listen and want to have the last word.

They preach and boast so often that with time it becomes a part of their personality. According to a recent study, nearly 70 per cent of people are about twice as likely to cherry-pick information that supports their own viewpoints than to consider an opposing idea.

“Closed-minded people are very certain and dogmatic in their views, and generally believe that there is a single correct point of view. The implication is that you have a group of people who would only seek to confirm their points of view, resisting all evidence to the contrary via avoidance of exposure,“ said the study researcher Dolores Albarracin, a psychology professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Here are five ways to deal with this kind:

1 Don't take it personally

You cannot change the way these people think. Their opinions were built over a period of many years. It will not change overnight. Also, you don't have to be the one to change them. So, don't take anything they say to heart. Even if they irk you, it is better to keep your calm.

2 Let them speak

Let them talk and make sure you don't get into any argument as that could only escalate into a fight or even worse. When in a discussion, stick to facts and figures so there is little room for personal attacks. Remember, if you are good at what you do, they cannot belittle you.

3 Avoid being aggressive

One should be firm and as sertive and not aggressive.Using a broken record technique (repeating the statement over and over again) would be effective. They will not agree with you initially and you may think they aren't listening. But if you take a stand, they will listen to you eventually.

4 Don't share your personal information

Avoid sharing personal information with such people.They are only waiting for an opportunity to share their opinion or rather force you to change certain things. For them, it's their way or the high way.

5 Walk away from them

It is better to avoid people you can't stand. Learn to protect yourself if such people make you feel insecure

lifehacker.co.in