When you have a conversation with anybody, be it your friends or family or even at the workplace, opinions and thoughts are bound to differ.

These differences can either be handled with respect or can cause problems in the relations. Just so that you don’t end up disrespecting someone without reason, we have set aside 7 ways through which you can disagree respectfully.

So let’s dive into the ways you can disagree without disrespecting:

Pick your battles wisely:

Choose. It is as simple as that. There are hundreds and thousands of people in this world and they all have different opinions. Don’t waste your time correcting all of them or even showing that you disagree. Some people are just simply not going to understand and you don’t want to waste your time dealing with them. Ignorance is always the best policy, let’s skip on honesty this time.

Listen to try to see your coworker’s point of view:

While your coworkers or simply the world may have a different opinion than yours, it doesn’t mean they are wrong. We all come from different backgrounds and different learning systems. Through our experiences, we have become who we are. We have formed the opinions we have. It is not right to simply disregard or reject the other side of things. Try and see where the other person is coming from.

State the facts (if you have any) and share your knowledge:

While you pick your battles and try to see the other person’s side, don’t forget your own. Be confident about how you feel and if something can be proven do discuss it with them. Don’t, in any way, be disrespectful of it by telling them that they are wrong. But do discuss the facts and the knowledge you have. This can help them in learning something new. 

Speak only for yourself:

Most importantly when you speak, even in a group, speak for yourself. Talk as an ‘I’ and not ‘we’. Speak on behalf of others only when asked to do. You don’t want to include everyone in the conversation without consent. That will only lead to disagreement and arguments. The idea here is to respect everyone and everything. 

Compromise when necessary:

Not always can you be right and not always will the other person agree with you. Like we said, pick your battles. Not every fight is worth fighting for. And when you aren’t fighting, sometimes you need to compromise. Agree with the other person speaking, simply because you don’t want conflict. Or even simply because you know you are right and the other person isn’t wanting to agree. It is not important to be the winner all the time, sometimes losing is a better win. 

Don’t hold a conflict when you’re angry, emotional, or upset:

And finally, don’t hold grudges and don’t begin a conflict or argument when angry or emotional. You don’t want your emotions to get the best of you. Any and every discussion is best done with a clear and happy mind. Your anger or temporary sadness can cause problems you don’t want. It is best to avoid any discussion under the influence of emotions. 

Well, I hope you keep these points in your head next time you disagree with someone. Once you start taking care of these points, you will have much better relations with others in general. Let us know if you follow any of these points below.