How do you deal with nasty/angry people? (No jokes, please)?

Question

I know I can be a pain in the rear sometimes, but the truly nasy/angry/rude people really bring out the worst in me.
How do you cope with this ?

If you wish to, desribe your worst encounter.

you guys are GREAT!
I'm going to let this go until the activity wanes, and put it to community vote! Like #5 alive sez...imput!

Answer 1

I love them anyway! RESPECT myself by not going on my feelings! But How GOD wants me to act!

Answer 2

I live with eight delinquent and emotionally disturbed youth, some of whom are psychopaths and registered sex offenders. My wife and I have done this since 1967. I work 365 days a year with no going home from work, no weekends off, no holidays off, and have not taken a week long vacation for over 18 years. I can handle this without sniveling or whining because I have prepared myself. Part of that preparation was reading a very short book about the teaching of Epictetus entitled "The Enchiridion", a stoic text. Several translations of this text can be found on line, free.
The second book, now a programmed text, is by James G. Holland and B. F. Skinner entitled "The Analysis of Behavior". In paper form this book is rare and very expensive. It is, however, available free from bfskinner.org as a self-teaching program.
These books are not silly self-help books.
When Epictetus admonishes that we must consider the nature of things, that a cup is but a cup and if our favorite cup (you know the one that says, "That was a very stupid idea John, I'm afraid we're going to have to kill you.") is broken, you will be able to bear it. And if your wife or child dies, keep in mind that they are human and the nature of being human includes mortality, you can bear it. And if a teenager knocks out the teeth of your child because he is jealous that he is loved, you and your son can bear it and continue working with that child to teach him he is lovable.
The Skinner book is the cookbook on how to understand, predict and control behavior in precise scientific terms. The book can be digested in small bites but some sections require substantial chewing.
These texts will help enable you to cope with anything.

Answer 3

Its a family trait of mine to have be horriblely hot-headed, so I have to deal with this a lot. This girl who I really don`t like has something to say about everyone, which pisses me off enough, but she started being snotty to my friends and I yelled at her. Obviously it wasn`t the nicest thing, but it wasn`t that bad. She was such a wimp that she started crying though. Thats another problem I have. Not only am I a hot head, but so are the people I grew up with, my family, so I really can`t understand people who are so upset by it. In my family you don`t cry or whine, and we stop telling our parent`s at around early three. We just fight back. We all know how to fight physically from when we were kids, and from now and the teenage years, we can be very quick-witted with sarcastic comebacks and insults. I find its good to look away from the person, not think about anything that annoys who about them and just take deeps breathe and count to one hundred before you even try to deal with them again. Otherwise I loose my temper.

Answer 4

My answer, and it works for me, is to pacify them and just walk away. Get at a great distance from them before they succeed in ruining your day. My mother in law is the most selfish and self absorbed person I know. I have very little dealings w/ her and I'm always at a safe distance. If she irritates me on those few occasions that I must deal w/ her, I excuse myself and go be alone somewhere.

Answer 5

I worked with a really angry, mean-tempered person for about two years. She would yell at me in front of customers, get mad for reasons I couldn't figure out and them slam into my chair every time she walked by, stop speaking to me for days. Of course, I had to work with her; she wasn't just some random nasty mean person. So I finally stopped getting upset at her, just let her do her thing. Maybe I got used to it so it was expected and no longer a shock. As for the random meanies that pass through my life, I kill them with kindness and smiles, and it makes life a lot easier for me - and maybe for them. Mean nasty angry people are usually unhappy, too.

Answer 6

In person, I would just make my voice as cheery as possible and give them the middle finger salute when I'm free to.

Answer 7

Some of the nastiest, meanest people are the unhappiest people in the world.

Answer 8

I try my best to walk away... and avoid situations if it means having to deal with certain kinds of people

Answer 9

I look at them in the face and say. "It appears you are having an unusual day today. I really wish you would lay your attitude to rest so myself and others may have an enjoyable day. You know it takes only one person per day to mess up ones day, please do not let it be you.".

Answer 10

The bible says;"A soft answer turneth away wrath."
But don't try that on a Tennessee state trooper. That only makes them worse. Hang in there.

Answer 11

I just smile and take a nice long breath of reassurance that my life has to be waaaayy better than theirs. Plus, smiling will diffuse many negative situations.