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Body Language: Handling Heated Disagreements

Ways to deal with disagreements

With the holiday weekend, family and friends getting together to celebrate, you might find yourself in some awkward conversations that could lead to controversy, particularly over current events like Silent Sam at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Here are a few tips to handle potentially confrontational conversations.

You can help someone remain during a heated exchanged when you validate their feelings. When someone feels heard then they tend to stay calm. If they have a strong opinion about something and you let them know that you understand that they don’t like X, Y, or Z then they have nothing to argue with. Remember that you can validate how they feel and still have a different opinion.

If you don’t agree then say so politely. You can something like, “I get your point of view, I don’t agree.” Keep it simple and to the point. And then disengage. It’s unlikely that they’ll continue to argue with you if you ignore them.

Sometimes debates get heated. Here are some body language signs to watch for that might indicate they might get violent.

1) They might take a step back away from you. This lets them creates space to move in on you.

2) They might take off their jacket or put their personal items down.

3) They might look spaced out as they’re getting in the head space to strike out.

If you have any questions, you can find me on my Facebook page: Blanca Cobb-Body language expert. Give my page a “like” and write a message on my timeline. And I'll get back to you.

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