If someone you know is the glass-half-empty type, try this...
Most of us have to deal with negative people - coworkers, family members or friends who drive us nuts with bad news or criticism. Here are a few strategies to protect yourself from letting them bring you down:
• Neutralize the conversation. When it starts heading in a negative direction, change the topic. Talk about books, movies or celebrities – anything to stop the complaining.
• “Now tell me something positive.” Some people have no idea how negative they are. Go ahead and challenge them.
• Surrender! Don’t bother trying to argue – that just draws you into their negativity. It might be hard to bite your tongue or respond with a simple “okay,” but it should shorten the conversation and you’ll feel a lot less drained.
• Detach. If you can’t agree with them – smile, and say nothing at all. Negative people are often looking for a reaction. When you stop responding all together, they’ll start to notice how one-sided the conversation is.
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