Image from blog.luckyvitamin.comWhile most of us are fairly in-tune with our internal radars, no one is above the occasional verbal mishap. Maybe you went off on a political rant at a dinner party where you just 'knew' everyone felt the same, only to find out that one of the guests was employed by the opposing party. Or you made a pessimistic comment about Smart Cars only to find out your conversation-buddy is driving one. Some offenses are graver than others, but for the most part, here's how to navigate them successfully:
Small Situations:
- Use a bit of humor and self-repentance to level the mood. With a smile, admit that you aren't good at keeping your conversation manners in line and that you should've listened to your mother. Staying humble is the best way to go.
- Listen to the other party. After expressing the elephant in the room, allow the other person to express his or her views and then drive the conversation to more neutral ground.
- Don't feel obliged to apologize, especially if you were stating your beliefs. Doing so can compromise your sincerity since you clearly felt compelled enough to discuss it.
- In the future, try to keep especially controversial or conflicting views to yourself- and always be respectful of your dissenters.
Larger Situations:
- If you do find yourself making a serious blunder, don't try to explain your way out of it. The best thing to do is to make a sincere apology and blame yourself only. You may note that it was out of character and you know it was stupid.
- Write a note. If you've really crossed the line (for example, gossiping about an affair you think someone is having and it's overheard), try to summarize your regret on paper.
- In the future, be cognizant of who your talking to and the social implications it could have. Stopping to think before you speak is always a good idea, but since it's not always possible, try to at least be sure you know who you're talking to.
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