How to End an Argument

Arguing is part of life. Whenever people with different personalities or opinions are forced to cooperate, an argument can easily ignite. People argue everywhere: in the home, at the airport, during classes, and, of course, in the work place.

In a working environment, whether your environment is the same office every day or, for the traveling business person, different meeting rooms all over the world, you may find yourself arguing with coworkers about a variety of things. You may argue about a proposal, you may argue about a brainstorming idea, you may argue about the unfair treatment you think you"re getting, or you may simple argue about who drank the last of the coffee without making more.

Some people like to argue - lawyers, very outspoken personalities, people reliving their glory days as the senior year debate team captain - but most people get uncomfortable the instance they find themselves in the mist of a disagreement. For these types of people, there are ways to end an argument before it gets really ugly.

Listen: Whenever you find yourself arguing, you may become so easily distracted by the points you are making that you don"t take the time to really listen to the other person. The person on the other end may be arguing with you, but they may also have some viable points, points that even you will agree with. Listening to them also shows them that you respect what they have to say. Not listening, and interjecting with opinions and ideas of your own, will only take the argument to the next level.

Walk in the other Person"s Shoes: Oftentimes in an argument, there is no right or wrong answer: both sides have positives and negatives. Admitting this to your opponent is a great way to calm them down. Instead of blatantly disagreeing with everything they say, tell them that you can see their point and that you understand where they are coming from. This automatically takes them off the defense, making them much more likely to see your point as well.

Apologize if you are wrong: Pride is something none of us like to swallow; it doesn"t taste good and could use a little salt. But, when you know that you have wronged another person, the best thing to do is take responsibility for your actions and apologize. This doesn"t mean that you have to agree with everything they are saying, but if they are arguing with you about actions that you know were immoral, then simply tell them that you are sorry.

Walk Away: Arguing with someone involves a lot of passion and a lot of emotion. Whenever these two factors get together, you may find yourself saying things that you don"t mean. In a fit of anger, you may be more consumed with hitting your opponent "below the belt" then you are with keeping the argument on topic. If this is about to happen - and you feel yourself losing control - simply walk away. Take a few moments to collect your thoughts and calm yourself down. Then, return to the argument with rationality on your side.

Agree to Disagree: Not all arguments can be resolved: some people may just feel too strongly about their positions and, of course, there is always the chance that both sides of the argument are right or both sides of the argument are wrong. No one ever said that every argument had end with both parties shaking hands in agreement. If you find yourself unable to resolve an argument, simply agree to disagree...and then move on. Nothing is worse than bringing up the same argument five years down the road.

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