This Is How Smart People Handle Toxic People
The way smart people handle toxic people says a lot about their psychological skills. They do not let themselves be overcome, they know how to set limits and are aware of the impact of these disabling dynamics on their own health. So, one of the best gifts we can give is to learn how to neutralize and manage all the strategies to which this type of profile applies.
Some sociologists and experts in social psychology venture to say that we live in an era of high levels of toxicity. We realize that we hear this term too often and sometimes we don’t know where the line is. Despite everything, what is certain is that we live in a period marked by instability and uncertainty and all of this is deeply imbued in our daily life.
This is so true that, as several studies have shown us, if there is a context where toxic behavior abounds, it is at work. Especially in work environments where productivity is the key. This is where the mistrust, competition, envy, frustration, and personal damage run that threatens the overall systemic well-being of the organization.
However, as we know, these personalities are not left out in the family. Those people who, because of their personality or their particular situation, show harmful behavior towards their children or their spouse. In these latter cases, the impact and the wear and tear can be greater because they add to an emotional component, a bond of closeness.
How do smart people handle toxic people?
The way intelligent people handle toxic people responds to a number of factors. The first is the simple and obvious assumption that all toxic behavior lacks logic. Understanding this will help us a lot. In the first place because we will stop giving importance to a series of actions and words which lack meaning, which seek almost exclusively to project discomfort, frustration and negative emotions on someone.
Second, there is one point we cannot ignore. As revealed in work from the Department of Clinical and Biological Psychology at Friedrich Schiller University in Germany, continued exposure to this series of damaging dynamics affects our brain health.
We feel more stress, anxiety, exhaustion, and difficulty concentrating and thinking clearly. Having this clearly in mind from the start will encourage us to set proper boundaries. So let’s see in the following points how intelligent people handle toxic people.
They focus on solutions, not problems
When a toxic person lives around us, we are constantly living in danger. It’s like watching the fin of a shark that roams around us every day. So, and in a way, we care more about his presence, what he says, does not say, does or does not do, rather than applying strategies so that this presence does not affect us as much. .
Smart people focus more on finding solutions than on toxic behavior. As soon as something worries or disturbs them, they react instantly.
You need to set limits as soon as possible
We already know that you need to have a good response capacity. However, what kind of steps do we need to take to stop the toxic behavior? What we need to know is that in these cases the escape is not always worth it. Putting some distance can be impossible.
We must then set limits, protective barriers. This requires making it clear to the person in question that their actions have consequences. That everything is not allowed, that certain behaviors hurt and create an unhealthy environment.
We must make it clear to him what our red lines are, the ones we do not allow them to cross.
Adequate emotional control
We must be fully aware of our emotional states. If we are facing depression or psychological exhaustion, we have to deal with it. First of all, understand that no one should take away our joy or our calm. Then not to give an excessive place in our lives to those who simply do nothing to deserve it.
Since it is never possible to put physical distance, it is better to put emotional distance, to open our umbrella and to protect ourselves.
Cognitive empathy towards the toxic person
Applying cognitive empathy will always be preferable to emotional empathy in these cases. What do we mean by this? Quite simply, it is strongly recommended that you try to understand what the toxic person may be going through. Perhaps behind this figure and this exhausting dynamic, hides a repressed depression. Someone with low self-esteem or with personal issues.
Cognitive empathy allows us to understand the realities of others without soaking up their emotions. And this last point is very important. A strategy that defines how smart people handle toxic people.
Take care of your health and well-being
We can have one or more toxic people around us. We can even manage them efficiently. However, there is something that we should not lose sight of for even a single day: our own health. Therefore, we must prioritize our food, rest and recreation.
Learning to disconnect and not to think about these psychological profiles will allow us to gain in quality of life. It is clear that this is expensive, because we are talking about people who are experts in putting a spoke in the wheels. But let’s do it all the same, let’s be those intelligent people who know how to live, just as well, above these elements.
Our thoughts The fear of conflict is understandable, but it can cost a lot to those who suffer from it.
