On Thursday February 15th, Miriam shared with the group her most recent presentation entitled “ Dealing with Difficult People”. 

Miriam began by posing the question, “ what makes a difficult person? “

Some of the attributes of a difficult person, they tend to have poor communication and will talk over you.  They usually will have a lack of empathy, and may be difficult to be around.  Others will tend to avoid a difficult person.  They may always belittle and put you down, and maybe leave you out of conversations.  A difficult person’s public and private life may tend to be different. 

Miriam also shared with us that there are ten different types of difficult people.

1) the Sniper…this type of person enjoys saying mean things.

2) Whiner…with this type something is always wrong in the world. They tend to be perfectionists. 

3) Volcano…this type of person tends to keep things in, and then their emotions will explode all at once. 

4) The Bulldozer…these people push their way through life, and don’t like others who are weak. 

5) The know-it-all…these people have to be right and cannot be wrong.  No one else’s opinions matter. With this type just agree to disagree. They probably won’t like this either.

6) Pessimist…this person is always negative, and thinks everything is wrong in the world. They will spend a lot of time awfulizing.

7) the muzzle…these people usually will be quiet and refuse to talk with you. They may be angry when you disagree with them. 

8) The gossip…this person gossips about everything and everyone. So be careful what you tell them, as they may also be gossiping about you. 

9) The Staller…this type of person does not want to upset others, so they usually have trouble making decisions.  Most decisions don’t really matter to them.

10) The yes person…this type of person wants to make everyone happy.  This person wants to please others, but usually doesn’t follow through as they tend to over-commit.

     When it comes to difficult people, there are usually two sides to every problem. And remember it takes two to argue.  It usually helps to stay calm if you are able, when in the middle of an argument.  Try to remember that their reality may be different than yours, as it’s normal for our realities to differ from others.  Be sure and listen to the other person, and try looking at them with compassion.  A little empathy might help the situation.  It could be a win-win if you can make the other somehow think that the solution to a problem was their idea. 

If you need to meet with a difficult person, try and meet in a neutral public space.  And try and look for a compromise, which will meet the others needs. 

Above all, remember to practice your own self-care to help you navigate an encounter with a difficult person.