Here are some final points about being in conflict with another person…

Admit your mistakes.  If you are wrong, come out right away and say so.  It will be apparent at some point anyway.  But if you just admit it, you can move on quickly to something else.

If you have an idea that can help the other person, make a suggestion and let them come to their own conclusions.  As discussed before, no matter how loud you yell or how long you talk, you cannot change another person’s mind or make a decision for someone else.  But you can provide facts or ideas and let them come to the final conclusion on their own.  This subtle way is the best way to show someone another view point or way of looking at an issue.

Let the other person save face.  You may be smarter, stronger, and faster, but no one wants to hear about it.  Telling someone you are smarter than they are, proving you’re smarter, and then reminding them how much smarter you are doesn’t do anything except bruise the other person’s ego…badly.  And the ego is going to try to protect itself.  The ego’s job is to protect you from feeling inferior or bad about yourself in any way.  When the ego gets bruised, it may try to go out and bring down the person who hurt it.  If you just got done telling someone just how much smarter you are…that could be you.

Enjoy your victories.  In many cases you will be smarter, stronger, and faster.  But at other times you may come out on the short end of the stick.  Again, the Golden Rule, treat others the way that you want to be treated.