Dealing with Difficult People
by
Dennis Gersten, M.D.
Switch Places
It's not that hard to find out what someone thinks about you. Just walk
in their shoes for a few minutes.
"Imagine that you switch places and become the difficult person.
You're looking back at yourself through the other person's eyes. How does it
feel to be that difficult person? And how do you look . . . when seen through
these new eyes?
Now go back to being yourself and see if you notice anything about the
difficult person that you hadn't noticed before. Do you understand him or
her a little better now? Talk to him or her about what you experienced when
you switched places. Tell the difficult person what it was like to walk in his
shoes. Give him time to reply and he'll tell you why he behaves the way he
does around you."
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