If a friend/acquaintance talks on and on in a negative and blaming tone, how is best to deal with this? Listening in silence seems to encourage the blaming and the negativity? I have found it less than helpful to remain silent at such times, and have felt the need to propose alternative ways of thinking. Otherwise, the individual just seems to continue with endless streams of vitriol towards whomever/whatever is the current target, and not to move out of this mode? Patient, silent, "compassionate" listening does not always work when people seem determined to remain aggrieved?
On Apr 4, 2018 Elizabeth Taylor wrote :
If a friend/acquaintance talks on and on in a negative and blaming tone, how is best to deal with this? Listening in silence seems to encourage the blaming and the negativity? I have found it less than helpful to remain silent at such times, and have felt the need to propose alternative ways of thinking. Otherwise, the individual just seems to continue with endless streams of vitriol towards whomever/whatever is the current target, and not to move out of this mode? Patient, silent, "compassionate" listening does not always work when people seem determined to remain aggrieved?