You don’t have to walk away visibly angry! Smile, say a few brief parting words, and exit the conversation as soon as you can. For example, “I’m late for class – gotta go!” or “I’m going to grab something to eat. See you later. ”
For example, you might have to do this when dealing with a hypocritical family member or distant friend.
For example, say your friend talks constantly about the value of recycling, but you suspect they don’t recycle themselves. Don’t get carried away trying to “catch” them being a hypocrite. You don’t know for sure whether they recycle or not, and it’s not worth a confrontation.
For example, if the person is an uncle who touts morals yet you find morally repulsive, don’t talk about his personal life. If you do speak, keep interactions short and away from controversial topics.
For example, if you know your friend loves a certain band, but in front of the popular kids she pretends to hate them because they aren’t “cool,” this is pretty harmless. Let’s say you know someone who talks frequently about accepting all races and genders. Behind closed doors, though, you’ve heard them make harmful racist comments. This is a lot more serious.
For example, if you want to confront your racist acquaintance, say: “Barrett, I don’t know you that well, but you’ve always been nice to me. You say that you accept everyone, but I’ve heard you make racist remarks to some of my friends. I want to continue being your friend, but I can’t do that if you’re going to treat my friends that way. "
For example, “I feel really disappointed by this. I wish I understood your feelings about this topic, but I don’t. "
