5 Tips For Dealing With Assholes

Let’s face it, we all have some assholes in our lives. And I’m not just talking about our anatomy.

I’m talking about people who are jerks. People that on a regular basis cause us to become frustrated by what they say or do.

And while a majority of the people we share this planet with are great, we are forced to come across the occasional asshole. So try these simple tips below to make dealing with them more tolerable.

1. Identify Their Behavior – When dealing with people that are acting in malicious ways, it can sometimes make you question your own actions. Realize that they are the ones being the jerks, and it’s not normal.
2. Control Your Reaction, Not Their Actions – You can’t control what anybody else thinks, says, or does. However, you can control how you respond. Use your focus to respond in a constructive manner. And don’t let your emotions get compromised in the process.
3. Set Boundaries – A strong truth of any interpersonal relationship is that people will do to you, whatever you allow them to do to you. If you don’t set and enforce boundaries of how people can treat you, then you can expect to be taken advantage of.
4. Don’t Compare Yourself – Comparing your success, happiness, wealth, etc., is a terrible idea for any relationship. However, it’s especially harmful when you compare yourself to an asshole. You don’t have the full picture of their life, so don’t let yourself get caught up in a race that nobody will win.
5. Practice Empathy – More likely than not, assholes are projecting some negative part or insecurity in their life. If anything, you should show some empathy. Consider why they are acting the way they are, and learn to “work around” it, knowing that they are likely not happy people.