This Is How Smart People Handle Toxic People

The way smart people handle toxic people speaks volumes about their psychological abilities. They do not allow themselves to be overwhelmed, they know how to set limits and are aware of the impact that these exhausting dynamics have on their own health. Thus, one of the best gifts we can give ourselves is to learn to neutralize and manage all the strategies applied by this type of profile.

Some sociologists and experts in social psychology venture to say that we live in times with a high degree of toxicity. We are aware that we have become accustomed to overhearing this term and that sometimes we do not know where the limit is. Now, if there is one thing that is clear, it is that we live in a moment marked by instability and uncertainty and all of this permeates many of our daily contexts.

So much so that, as various studies reveal, if there is a scenario where toxic behavior abounds, it is at work. Especially in those work environments where productivity is key. It is there where distrust, competition, envy, frustration and those personal damages appear that threaten the entire systemic well-being of the organization.

Now, as we know, there is also no lack of this type of presence in the family environment. People who, due to their personality or particular situation, display harmful behaviors towards their children or partners. In the latter cases, the impact and wear may be greater because an emotional component is added, a bond of closeness.

How do smart people handle toxic people?

The way smart people handle toxic people responds to a number of factors. The first is the simple and obvious assumption that all toxic behavior lacks logic. Understanding this will help us a lot. It will do so because we will stop giving so much relevance to a series of acts and words that lack meaning, where it is almost exclusively sought to project discomfort, frustration and negative emotions onto someone.

Second, there is one aspect that we cannot ignore. As a study from the Department of Clinical and Biological Psychology at Friedrich Schiller University in Germany revealed to us, continuous exposure to this series of dynamics affects our brain health.

We experience increased stress, anxiety, exhaustion, and trouble concentrating and thinking clearly. Being clear about this detail from the beginning will encourage us to establish appropriate limits. So let’s see how smart people handle toxic people through the following keys.

They focus on solutions not problems

When a toxic person lives in our environment, we live in constant threat. It’s like seeing a shark’s fin hovering around us every day. Thus, and in a way, we care more about his presence, about what he says, does not say, does or does not do than in applying strategies so that that presence does not affect us so much.

Smart people are more focused on finding solutions than focusing on toxic behavior. As soon as something bothers or bothers them, they react instantly.

Limits must be set as soon as possible

We already know that you have to have a good response capacity. However,  what kind of action should we take to curb toxic behavior? Well, what we must know is that in these cases flight is not always valid or it is possible for us to distance ourselves.

You have to set limits, protection barriers. To do this, it is necessary to make it clear to the person in question that their actions have consequences. That not everything is permissible, that certain behaviors hurt and create bad environments.

We must make it clear to them early what our red lines are, those that we are not going to allow them to exceed.

Adequate emotional control

We must be fully aware of our emotional states. If we experience psychological exhaustion or exhaustion, we must manage that situation. First of all, understand that no one has to take away our joy or calm. The second, not to give excessive relevance in our life to those who simply do not earn their place in it.

Since it is never possible to put physical distance, it is best to put emotional distance, open our umbrella and protect ourselves.

Cognitive empathy for the toxic person

Applying cognitive empathy will always be more preferable to emotional empathy in these cases. What do we mean by it? Simply put, it is highly recommended to be able to understand what the toxic person may be going through. Perhaps behind that face and those exhausting dynamics there is a profile with a hidden depression. Someone with low self-esteem or with personal problems.

Cognitive empathy allows us to understand other people’s realities without impregnating ourselves with their emotions. And the latter is undoubtedly highly recommended. A strategy that defines the way smart people handle toxic people.

They take care of your health and well-being

We can have one or more toxic people around us. We can even handle them effectively. However, there is something that you should not lose sight of for a single day: your own health. Hence, we must give priority to our food, rest times and leisure.

Learning to disconnect and not think about these psychological profiles will not allow you to gain quality of life. It is clear that it costs a lot, since we are talking about experts in tripping. However let’s do it, let’s be those intelligent people who know how to live, too, above these circumstances.