Words and respect go hand in hand. Recently, I got into an argument with a loved one. In the heat of the moment I said some words I probably shouldn’t have, and now I regret it. Afterward, my loved one said the words I used were a ‘low blow.’ And they were right.
So why, in a heated argument, do we lose sight of the words that we use and just spout out the most hurtful things that come to our mind at that moment? It could be evolutionary in that we are feeling attacked and just want to protect ourselves and go into attack mode ourselves to do that.
But there must be a better way and here are some ideas that I came up which might help you (and me!) the next time a conflict arises between a loved one, colleague, or friend:
- Be thoughtful when choosing your words
- Choose words and language that empower
- Realize the impact
And above all, step back and take a deep breath!
