Dr. Laurence J. Peter has said: “Speak when you are angry – and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.” The majority of conflict situations we have to resolve in everyday situations are conditioned by lack of ability to listen to the interlocutor. Trying to settle the conflict situation many people take their positions and interests for absolute value that should be secured in every possible way. However, action frequently conditions counteraction and further reluctance to compromise leads to escalation of a conflict. In this view, it is possible to mark out the following easy steps on the way to settlement of a conflict:
1. Give objective estimation to the reasons of a conflict. 2. Estimate the conflict from the opposite point of view. Include as many aspects as possible into such estimation. 3. Never overemphasize your interests in a conflict. Give way to compromising. 4. In case your opponent is excessively aggressive, try to sustain a pause and do not let yourself be involved into escalation of a conflict. 5. Never humiliate your opponent and never try to demonstrate your superiority.
These basic rules seem to be obvious as you read these lines, but the bitter experience of interpersonal conflicts shows that many individuals fail to control their actions as the conflict situation takes place. To this reason, it is more reasonable to refuse from any precipitate speeches that would be later regretted.
