Three Common Mistakes to Avoid in any Argument
Arguments are very common. They take place with strangers on your way to the shopping center, with colleagues at work, and with your spouse at home. And of course now with the virtual world being as much a part of our lives as the real world, no dearth of argumentative trolls there, right?
This article covers the three most common mistakes that you can avoid while in an argument with someone, anywhere.
The first mistake to avoid
Never lose your cool: Arguments tend to increase stress. It happens since they are unexpected incidents. Hence, most people in arguments react with losing their temper and are unable to make coherent sentences. Also, losing cool leads to escalation of conflict and that’s the last thing you would want if you want the other person to come around to your ideas. Keeping a cool head also helps with the next point
Which is
Never lose the purpose: What’s the purpose of the argument? What are you trying to achieve with this confrontation? It’s not wise to get into an argument with the boss in case of a delayed promotion; it is just not smart to argue with your spouse if the purpose is to get him to clean up the house. Choose your battles and always keep your eye on the ball. A fender bender is easy to fix, a lover’s tiff is just that, a tiff..unnecessarily trying to argue your way to victory can lead to backaches as a result of sleeping on the couch instead of the cozy comfort of your lover’s arms.
And the final Mistake to avoid is
Never misconstrue good faith arguments with bad faith: An argument in good faith is a positive argument where you are trying to find a solution or an answer through forwarding valid rational arguments. A bad faith argument is where the intention is oneupmanship; to prove one is correct at whatever cost. These can include mockery, personal attacks, exaggerated expressions, and many other tools.
It’s very common to misinterpret bad faith with good faith, just as in life. In an argument, this could prove expensive, and hence it’s important to recognize it as early as possible during the argument.
Many try to avoid arguments, only to get frustrated, after repeated instances of backing down. It’s only natural that there will be conflicts since everyone has their ideas to forward and interests to take care of.
Avoid these three common mistakes and you will see much better results from conflict situations.
