If someone disagrees with you, try to understand their perspective. [1] X Research source It will help you deal with them better and change their minds. [2] X Research source When you listen to what they say, they will feel that you care about what they think and like you better. [3] X Research source
If you feel that your interests and needs are not being respected at all, this can be a sign of dealing with an arrogant person, especially where he or she insists that his or her way is the only way.
Look for the person constantly saying that they are better than you and other people. It may be subtle or overt but you’ll certainly know of it. Consider how dismissive the person is towards you and your ideas or thoughts. Dismissive attitudes signal a belief in being better than others. Does this person put down the things you care about, especially in public? Does this person sound and/or act plain bossy? Listen for a tone of voice that indicates bossiness and a dismissive attitude. Does this person even notice when you are bored with the conversation? Arrogant people never notice this!
Does this person try to hang around with, work with, or conspire with people of high status? This is because the arrogant person believes he or she is only worthy of those with high status.
Being a snob is a classic sign of arrogance. Pretending or even actually knowing as much as possible about something thought to be exclusive gives the arrogant person the upper hand and he or she isn’t afraid to show off. It is very difficult for an arrogant person to understand complexity. He or she is much happier with predictable, black and white situations and tends to see all of life with such a view. This can cause the arrogant person to assume a lot and know very little. Anxiety can bring about a sense of arrogance without a real intention to treat you as inferior. In this case, the anxious person is simply overwhelmed by seeming inadequate in a conversation and tries too hard to be clever. This can end up sounding superior and, if coupled with dominating the conversation, can seem arrogant. Be careful to look more deeply before you judge the person’s motivation. An anxious person will be interested in your responsiveness, while an arrogant one couldn’t care less and won’t ever apologize for talking too much.
If, for expediency’s sake, the person happens to fit the latter category (that is, unappealing and irritating), quietly plan to obtain the information you have come to seek from them or the business transaction you are obligated to complete and then resolve to quietly and quickly with the most polite tact make your exit (aka escape from their presence).
Smile a lot. Say very little. Nod here and there. Refuse to be drawn in. An occasional murmur like “ah,” ha," or “mmm” can be helpful. Then plan your exit. Laugh very loudly at a point where clearly laughter isn’t right. It will baffle and gives a chance to change the topic. A simple one often used by teenagers is the “Really?” comment. Say it with a tone of disbelief, look the person straight in the eye, and say no more. Practice this in front of the mirror to perfect it.
“You have an interesting point there. I’ve not found the same to be true in my line of work though. In my experience, X happens instead, almost 99% of the time. The other 1% is not worth the trouble to notice. " “For sure, that’s one way of looking at it. However, in my experience, I’ve seen things happen quite differently. For instance. . . "
If you must acknowledge them, generally speaking, in a group setting you can get away with addressing the group as a whole rather than speaking to the arrogant person specifically: for example, instead of saying,“Hi there, Wendy,” say, “Hi there, everyone. " Also, don’t ask, “How are you?” as this might evoke a rude response.
Once you have left their spirit-robbing presence, you can pride yourself on your professionalism, your intelligent awareness of the dynamics, and your presence of mind to escape quickly without wasting another valuable minute around such a spirit-robber. They on the other hand will be left with a profound surprise of having had such a pleasant encounter with a truly stable and mannerly individual and will feel “like a heel” in comparison, knowing that their rude arrogance will have no effect on you and that they cannot control you, hurt you, anger you or destroy you with their dark spirits that they themselves seem unable to control or resist within themselves.
