Words to Live By

I found this great article on how to defeat verbal intimidation on Consumerist today: The Art of Verbal Intimidation : Learn it and fight back!

For example (I've added the quotations to make things more clear):

I once witnessed a perfect example of this from a work colleague who had a verbal attack instigated towards him by a senior manager. As the manager elevated his voice to declare dominance, my work friend simply said:

"I understand the concern. Though I do think you’re being very emotional right now. Let’s talk about this once you’ve had a chance to calm down."

The anger in the manager’s eyes grew ten-fold. In a desperate attempt to appear dominant, the manager further raised his voice and responded:

"No! We’re talking about this now!"

To which my colleague stood up, and responded softly:

"I will talk to you, but I will not let you shout at me. You are my boss and I respect you, but you are not my mother."

I've had a lot of problems in the past dealing with this sort of verbal intimidation, so it's always nice for me to receive a reminder of the right way to behave in these sorts of situations. Upon examination, it becomes clear that the most effective strategy is also the most dignified, compassionate, and manages to maintain one's confidence and composure.