When a person engages in aggressive behavior, it is common to feel fear and uncertainty because their way of acting is unpredictable. And it is not easy to know how to respond calmly in a moment of doubt or emotional intensity. It is not possible to offer a generalized plan of action to resolve any question in this regard.
How to act when faced with an aggressive person: 5 tips
What is most convenient or appropriate also depends on the context in which the situation develops and the specific conditions of the case. But it is very important that you try to maintain a certain inner calm to show this self-control on an external level. To do this, you can focus on three main pillars: use a slow tone of voice, connect with your breathing and accompany your emotions Below, we give you other suggestions to act when faced with an aggressive person.
1. Don’t try to change his mind
If the person is having an aggressive response, they are not in a position to talk about an issue to reach an understanding. In that case, it is advisable to wait for him to calm down little by little. Internally, do not justify inappropriate behavior, especially if it has a negative effect on you. It is worth keeping in mind that, in specific circumstances, There are reactions that can be connected to other factors such as suffering
If you know the story of that person, and the moment they are going through, you have more information to know if that response is habitual or, on the contrary, it is a specific and temporary situation that is related to a state of mind.
2. Listen carefully
In a situation of this type it is important not to respond to the other person with a raised tone of voice. On the contrary, attentive listening can have a positive function in this context: while externalizing your reality, you find the space you are looking for to talk about yourself. It is an observation that you can value, however, each circumstance is different. Thus, It is advisable that in addition to paying attention to their words, you observe their body language: their movements, their changes in posture, their expressions and their hands.
3. Don’t give in: maintain assertive communication
In those cases in which aggressiveness manifests itself at a verbal level, it is advisable not to give in to blackmail or manipulation. In that case, it is essential that you remain calm, but without giving up your point of view (establish your own limits). Don’t constantly justify yourself or beat around the bush to try to make the other person understand your position. Transmit a clear, friendly, brief, simple and assertive message And repeat it more than once if the situation requires it, that is, if the other insists to make you change your mind. You can modify the main idea with similar words by rephrasing the original sentence.
While the interlocutor adopts an aggressive communication style, it is advisable that you maintain an assertive position. It is appropriate that you do not enter into a dynamic that revolves around reproaches, derogatory comments and personal attacks. There are small gestures that you can apply to show that you take them into account or that you put yourself in their place. For example, use their name during the conversation. Besides, respects the individual space of the interlocutor (because communication also develops through non-verbal language and proxemics). For this reason, it is also advisable that you protect your own personal space.
4. Mark a distance
The risk of aggressive reactions perceived in close people is to justify or downplay a negative dynamic. Aggressiveness is also shown in a communication style that does not take into account the feelings or personal moment of the interlocutor.
Distance can be applied at different levels For example, if you are in the same place as the other person, perhaps there is a moment in which you can observe the situation with more distance on an emotional level. In other cases, it is advisable to reduce contact with that person or even avoid it.
5. Ask for help if there is any danger
There are different levels of aggressiveness and different ways of expressing anger, anger or frustration. It is advisable to take special care with those situations that may pose a potential threat and an added risk to personal well-being. It is essential to ask for help if you perceive any danger or an alarm signal It is also possible to ask for help after having experienced a difficult situation to better understand the scope of what happened, have an external view of the process and discover new tools to face other complex moments.
On the other hand, it is advisable to seek specialized advice when identifying the first signs of aggressive communication. That is, it is advisable not to wait for the other’s behavior to be even more negative in the long term.
