What’s the worst kind of person in the world? The one who appears to help but has a condescending tone that makes you feel like you’re nothing. These people can be super demeaning, and sometimes, it gets tough to deal with them without getting overwhelmed. Don’t worry because here are ten effective strategies to handle patronizing people.
1. Pretend You Didn’t Hear Them
To deal with their superiority complex, you can just pretend you never heard them in the first place. “What was that? I can’t hear you.” They crave attention and validation, so not giving what they’re looking for is the perfect way to ruin them. Having to deliver the same comment twice makes it much harder to land.
2. Be Over Patient
Killing people with kindness and patience might just be exactly what you need. In a situation where someone repeatedly does the same thing, you can try to enunciate the softness in your response. Being extra nice will make every quip and jab feel so petty that the other person might get embarrassed by their own behavior.
3. Remind Them of Their Behavior Later
Some people just never learn until they’re called out for it. While you might not want to cause a scene, a subtle reminder never hurt anybody. If they’re trying to explain something to you that you clearly know, you can turn the tables on them at a later point in time. Explaining the same thing and ending it with a “So, I do understand, don’t I?” can be the biggest slap in their face.
4. Turn It Into a Light Joke
Unless everyone around you is blind, they’ll definitely be able to see the situation at hand. Turning arrogant behavior into a running joke will not only help you feel better, but it might make someone else who’s also experiencing this feel a little less alone. Chances are, if they have this attitude with you, they have this attitude with everyone else, too.
5. Sarcasm
A sprinkle of sarcasm goes a long way. When nothing else works, throwing in a sarcastic, “Oh, this was so helpful,” might just make them realize the error of their ways. Even if it doesn’t, you’ll get the anger and frustration out of your system when you make them feel stupid for saying such things in the first place.
6. Avoid Asking For More Information
The more you reinforce their negative behavior, the more they’ll start to do it, thinking they’ll get away with it. When someone is patronizing you, never ask for more information. Eventually, reduce your interactions with them so you can avoid the unnecessary toll it takes on your mental peace.
7. Stand Up for Yourself
While it takes courage to stand up to the bully, it definitely works. Be direct with your words and tell them that you simply don’t appreciate their tone and how they talk to you. Sometimes, people don’t realize what they’re doing until they’re called out for it. And, if they do know, pointing it out can embarrass them because they didn’t see it coming.
8. Just Ignore Them
For some, being the center of attention is the goal. Humans are insecure, and they often project those insecurities on others to try to make themselves feel better. By ignoring their attempts to be the main character, you’ll just end the fire before it even sparks.
9. A Stare Off
What do you do when someone refuses to listen to you even when you tell them otherwise? Look them in the eyes with a dead serious face and say nothing. A sharp glare into their soul can go a long way since they’ll be able to understand how it made you feel without you ever having to utter a word.
10. Walk Away
If all else fails, then the last resort is to walk out and leave them hanging. Preserving your mental peace and protecting yourself from such people is essential. When you exit the situation, it can no longer affect you, and they lose the power they held over you. You can’t control how others act, but you can control what you do about it.
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Source: Reddit.
