In chapter 10 of Thank You for Arguing, Jay Heinrichs explains different tactics one can use to help someone calm down when they are angry. The tactics that stuck out to me were to "keep everything simple" and "make your audience feel powerful." I thought these were interesting because people can do these without even realizing it.
When someone is angry, they don't want to be confused by what someone is saying, they want easy simple answers. If they have to ask what the person means or they have to ask them repeat every sentence, they are going to get more frustrated than before. On the other hand, if the angry person can easily answer someone's questions or comments, they are less likely to get even angrier.
Another strategy Jay Heinrichs talks about is making "your audience feel powerful." No one likes the feeling of being powerless or like they have no control. It can make many feel anxious or angry, especially when they are already angry. By making your audience feel powerful they feel like they have control over the situation and can help them calm down. A good example of making them feel powerful is giving them a choice, because they get to choose what answer they want to pick.
Next time someone you know is angry try using one of these strategies to help calm them down. Everyone likes to feel powerful and smart, so these tactics are sure to help.
An angry audience can be the biggest issue when it comes to persuading successfully! Having techniques to calm angry listeners is crucial! I'm glad you included Jay Heinrichs' approaches as well; next time I am in a situation where someone I am talking to is angry or upset, I will use his tactics of giving the power to the audience; making them feel powerful and smart.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you said that people automatically speak in simpler terms. I think that the audience is more likely to get mad when they don't understand what the speaker is saying. When the audience doesn't understand something they feel stupid which could make them mad. They may also get frustrated because they don't understand which would just make them more angry. Speaking in simple and easy to understand terms it helps prevent the audience from getting angrier.
ReplyDeleteI really like this topic that you chose. I think it is very beneficial and lots of people could use this advice. I really like how you mentioned one of the ways is making your audience feel powerful and I thought you brought up a great point that nobody likes to feel powerless or like they have no control. I really liked all the strategies you mentioned.
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