HOT HEADS LOSE - Try the Artful Approach

Control is required when conversations become volatile.

Can you overcome your emotions and use intellect and persuasion instead, when discussing important issues?

Why is there a need to become agitated?

We want to help people and we need to.

But we don't have enough money for even half of our aspirations.

It's not a personality issue.

It’s not a matter of life or death.

It is a matter of simple reality. Mathematics. Economics.

You don’t win over people by yelling at them.

You don’t engage people by getting angry with them.

Let's take the emotion out of political conversations, and deal with the principal facts and issues we can all agree upon.

§ We never stop coming up with ways to spend money.

§ There's not enough money.

Let's begin from there.

It’s much easier to come up with solutions when you boil down the problem and remain level headed.

In this case, let's hire young people out of college.

We’ll give them a pad and pen and send them out to figure out where we are wasting money.

We’ll let them figure out how to consolidate and how to eliminate.

Let's work on common sense solutions, instead of acrimony.

If someone doesn't agree with you, getting angry at them accomplishes nothing.

Except perhaps the opposite of what you want.

It pushes them away.

If someone disagrees with me, I engage them.

Getting angry at them is not engaging.

I try to find common ground, and validate their opinions when possible.

I try to ask questions that create conversation.

I try to spend more time on explanations and counterpoint.

I avoid saying the things which will make them angry.

I control my emotions, and use appropriate humor when it helps.

I remain civil.

When I’m done I have a better understanding of why they believe what they do

And they of me.

Controlling a conversation for better outcomes....

It can be done!