What makes you think that President Trump would not find you difficult to cope with? What makes you more right than him. Many do not find him difficult to deal with. What makes the difference?

I am a RN and find myself taking care of difficult humans often. They are in the hospital for one reason or another and most do not have great coping skills. I often think of myself as a kind and compassionate individual, but lately have had a very tough time with rude and difficult patients-I’m finding myself more short tempered and intolerant of their behavior-a bit self-righteous I’m afraid.

Thank you for this article as it has refreshed my perspective and I look forward to reading and re-reading the quotes when I find myself faced with a patient’s behavior that makes my blood boil. I do not wish to allow people to mistreat or disrespect me, in general not just at work, but also do not want to mistreat and disrespect others in return or in reaction to their behavior.

Hi Marc,

This is very true!

Communication truly is the key because he might be thinking that she is being difficult while she might be thinking the same thing of him! He might think she ignores him, while she might think he is avoiding certain activities with her! He might think that she only goes to him when she wants something, but she might feel that it’s the only way to get his attention. He might think she is ungrateful but she might feel that he doesn’t truly understand her.

She might also want to let him know that the communication wasn’t always clear but it still is always important! It may not always be 100% positive either because if it were, this means that they are avoiding the real issues and only telling the other person what they want to hear, so the communication is probably useless. I’m not saying to be hurtful or inconsiderate, but to be open and upfront about the issues.

What do you think?

Always try to avoid quick judgements of others.

Thanks

True

Thank you

Recently I a very bold step in co-founding and releasing WalkTheRidge.ORG – a movement to practice and promote respect and civility between people who have different opinions and views.

Instead of using our voices against the opposition, we promote using our voices to ENGAGE the opposition. We believe that there is good on BOTH sides and if we open ourselves up to ‘seeing’ them for more than the box they check on election day, ‘hearing’ their story to understand how and why their views are shaped, and do so in a ‘respectful’ way that people will rise up from their valleys of like-minded people and Walk The Ridge in a spirit of understanding, openness, and kindness.

So I’ll put in my 2 cents with the WTR motto: I SEE You…I HEAR You…I RESPECT You.

Karen, it’s important to understand that it’s not one or the other—you can be kind to your husband and also stand your ground. Don’t fall into the trap of fighting misbehavior with more misbehavior.

In your case, I’d start with taking positive control of negative conversations between you and your husband. It’s okay to change the topic, talk about something positive, or steer conversations away from pity parties, drama, and self-absorbed sagas. Be willing to disagree with him and deal with the consequences. Some people really don’t recognize their own difficult tendencies or their inconsiderate behavior. You can actually tell him, “I feel like you ignore me until you need something.” You can also be honest if his overly negative attitude is what’s driving you away: “I’m trying to focus on positive things. What’s something good we can talk about?” It may work and it may not, but your honesty will help ensure that any communication that continues forward is built on mutually beneficial ground. This, of course, is just the first step.