[00:00:00] Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to my podcast. Live Your Best Life Every day. My name is Stephan Dadjo, and today's topic is going to be about how to face stupidity. Dealing with stupidity can be frustrating. Experience. I agree. You've been through that. I have. And I'm pretty sure whoever else is listening has been through.
It is, however, an inevitable part of life, whether it's a colleague who is always making bad decisions or a friend who believes in this or that encountering stupidity can be a challenging thing on a regular basis. However, there are ways to face stupidity without losing your cool. Know yours. You see quite often we get triggered when in I situation where we have to encounter stupidity.[00:01:00]
It's so easy to lose our cold. It's so easy to get into arguments with people. But right here in this episode, we are gonna be talking about steps on how to effectively deal with stupidity, stay.
We all have stories where we have encountered stupidity. Now, they may be a past percent of the future, but by the end of the day, it's a recurring thing and something that is quite out of our control. I can always say you may control yourself, but you are quite unable to control other people's hands. In this episode, we are gonna be focusing on what we can do to make sure that when we deal with stupid, , we don't get affected as much as we used to.
The first step is gonna be to stay calm and connected. The first and most important strategy for facing stability is to remain calm and collected. [00:02:00] It is easy to get frustrated or angry when dealing with someone who seems to be making foolish decisions. Throw mean words at you and be disrespectful.
Somebody who is not thinking rationally and., losing her core, only make things worse. Therefore, you need to take a deep breath and try to stay objective. The second point is to listen carefully. When someone is saying something that seems stupid to you, it is easy to tune them out and dismiss them entirely.
However, it is also important to listen carefully to what they are. . Sometimes people have a good reason for their beliefs or actions, even if they don't express themselves quite well, and this is something that happens a lot in the work environment. There are so many people who do have something relevant to say, however, their [00:03:00] ways of getting the message across may not be the best.
Their choice of words may not be the best eater. That's why it's important to always pay attention to details and listen. Carefully. The third point is to ask questions. One effective way to deal with stupid is to ask questions. Trust me. By asking questions, you can gain a better understanding of the other person's perspective, and that right there can help you to communicate more effectively, be curious, and be non-judgmental when asking those questions.
you don't wanna make the other person feel as if they're not making any sense because that will be triggering them even further. Therefore, you need to make sure that you ask the question that will lead you to a better understanding of what the person is trying to convey, and that will help you avoid putting [00:04:00] the person on a defensive point.
Number four, empathize with the older person. . The hardest thing for me to do is when we disagree with people, we just don't want to listen to them. And this can happen with either parties by the way, but let's not forget something in this episode. It's about making sure that we come out of that particular situation with our own sanity and without compromising ourself or our job in the process if it is work-related.
if it is with your friends, with your families and everything, you don't wanna compromise the nature of your relationship or acquaintanceship with that person. Now, do you? That's the reason why even if you disagree with somebody's opinion or actions, it is important to try to empathize with them.[00:05:00]
Consider the reason why they might think or behave in a certain way or the way that they. , perhaps they're under stress or facing difficult circumstances that you're not aware of, and this is something that is quite familiar when you think about it. I'm using the work environment as a perfect example for you to understand that, because so many people used to bring their or not use, actually, because so many people bring their personal stress, you know, , anything related to their own personal lives to work today, they're gonna show up in a bad mood.
They're gonna be this, they're gonna be that. Although that may be quite a bit of, uh, unprofessional. At the end of the day, we are human beings and we need to get down to what makes us human at the end of the day, which is empathy. [00:06:00] When number five offer constructive, . If you feel like someone's actions or opinions are genuinely harmful or misguided, it may be appropriate to offer constructive feedback.
Now, it is safe to mention that many people will not receive your feedback, especially, especially if they have a high level of insecurities. Unfortunately, that's very common, so you have to prepare. , this particular step is very critical, and if you notice that offering a consultative feedback is not an optional refrain from doing so altogether.
So again, offer constructive feedback. However, be sure to approach the situation in a non-confrontational way. Offer specific examples of [00:07:00] why you think the other person's. Or beliefs are problematic and such as alternative solutions or perspectives. It's also the best way to go about things. Now, the outcome may not always be the ideal.
Some people will take in the constructive feedback. Again, Arabic repeat, others may reject it, so it's up to you to deny if the other person is worth giving a constructive feedback.
Point number six. Know when to walk away. This one is really important, and this is where so many people often tend to fail myself, include that in the past, but trust me, I've learned from that. Quite sadly, there may be times when dealing with stupidity becomes too [00:08:00] much to. if you find yourself very angry or offset on a daily basis, or if the other person seems completely unwilling to listen or change a behavior or adjust their mindset, it may be best to walk away and save yourself the trouble and the hustle to go through an unpleasant encounter with the.
Recognize when a situation is unlikely to change and focus your energy elsewhere. Now, this is old like the books, but still remain the fact. Choose your battles. Did you hear me? Choose your battles. This is really important. You don't wanna waste your time. No. towards an audience that is not listening or that is not willing to learn.[00:09:00]
You are wasting your time. You are wasting their time. And I think time is quite, um, a valuable asset. So you either invest it or you waste it. If the person is willing to learn, that's an investment. That's great. That's good. Everyone gets happy at the end of the day. But if the person is not willing to learn, then.
just walk away to conclude this episode. Dealing with stability can be a challenging experience. Believe me, it is for everyone. It's quite frustrating, but it's possible to face it with patience, empathy, constructive feedback by staying calm and connected, listening carefully, asking questions, advertising with the other person.
offering constructive feedback and knowing when to walk away. You can navigate difficult situation with grace [00:10:00] and dignity. Remember, it's about you not necessarily the other person. Protect your mind, protect your thoughts, protect your energy, protect your vibe. And that's all I gotta say for today. Again, check out my book available on Amazon.
The title of my book is Live Your Best Life Every Day, and Share this episode with whoever you think needs to listen to this. Have a great day, all night, respectively of where you are at or when you are listening to this. Stay blessed.