Dealing With Difficult People 101
Thanksgiving was still a week away, but Susan was already nervous. Her thoughts turned to the previous year’s family gathering, when her aunt had pointed out that Susan was still single—loudly. “‘Do you think you’ll ever meet a nice guy? Or any guy?’ she shouted across the table,” recalls Susan, a 41-year-old magazine editor. “Then she started ticking off the accomplishments of her own three children. As I tried to tell everyone about my new job, my aunt interrupted, saying, ‘You should focus on getting a man.’”
Difficult people. We encounter them in every area of life: family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, bosses. These are the folks who have nothing nice to say, the bullies and gossips who thrive on drama.
