You may encounter an angry person while sitting at your dining room table, going about your work, shopping at the mall or on your drive home. How you react can make the difference between a peaceful resolution and a prolonged or dangerous argument. Try to defuse the situation, calm the irate person and keep your emotions in check.
Instructions
1. Try not to take the tirade personally. Let the person vent his anger toward you, but understand that in many cases he's simply reacting to a situation that occurred earlier in the day. Allow him to express his frustration, then attempt to discuss the root of the problem once he calms down.
2. Stay calm if someone yells at you, and try not to retaliate with anger or accusations of your own. Listen to what she's saying to see if there's a justifiable reason for the rant. If so, allow her to finish and then apologize. If not, calmly formulate and deliver your side of the story.
3. Offer a sympathetic ear when you realize that the person just needs to vent about someone else. If you attempt to talk him out of his mood, devise a solution to his problem or even play devil's advocate to rationalize the other party's side, you'll only make it worse.
4. Maintain eye contact and nod sympathetically while the person is talking. When she's done, rephrase the main ideas behind the complaints and arguments so she knows you've been listening closely and that you respect her feelings.
5. Acknowledge the person's point and offer to help come up with solutions even if you don't agree with what he's said. The offer alone may diffuse his anger.
6. Walk away if you realize that the person is simply in the mood to fight. This is especially important if your encounter is with a stranger. Leave or call someone over to help if she begins to antagonize your or gets physically abusive.
