Cattiness is something that we all have to deal with at some point in our lives—throughout grade school, college, and even the work place. Despite our best efforts to remain drama free, sometimes we stumble upon people whose very existence revolves around drama and chaos.
Even though “catty” encounters are bound to happen, there are plenty of ways to deal with them without sacrificing your morals or dignity.
1. Pick your battles. Everything doesn’t have to be dignified with a response.
Sometimes, girls can say and do petty things. Remember that one really rude girl from high school who felt like the world revolved around her, and others weren’t worthy of her presence? Well, unfortunately, there are many girls who still think this way. Any little thing that you say or do could be enough for her to banish you from the “cool kids’ table”—at least metaphorically speaking—for life.
You can find comfort in knowing that usually the girls who do the most talking about other people are the most insecure about themselves. The greatest thing you can do for yourself is to not play second best to anyone, no matter how rude and cool that person may think she is. Once you do that, you will be able to combat those rude and sneaky comments by not acknowledging them.
Yep. I said don’t acknowledge them.
This is often easier said than done, but the last thing you want to do is give people like this power over you by feeding into their nonsense. Besides, you shouldn’t feel bad that someone else is so insecure about themselves that they have to talk about other people to make themselves feel better. If they don’t like you, for whatever reason, that’s their problem and not yours. Just smile and stay poised!
2. Keep calm and talk it out.
Sometimes, it is okay to address a problem that you may have with someone, especially if the issue involves more than just childish, grade school jabs. This is definitely important for remaining professional in the workplace or when working in a group.
Everyone won’t always agree with what you have to say or how you handle certain things, so there may be disagreements. However, it is the way you address an issue that can be the difference between reaching a peaceful resolution and an all-out cat fight.
The worst way to confront somebody about a problem is to approach them with the intention of starting an argument. If you plan on resolving an issue with that person, you don’t always have to be geared for battle, especially when you want the conversation to end peacefully.
You should come up with an idea of what you want to say, and you should say it in a way that won’t make the other person feel like you’re trying to bite their head off. Voice your concerns in an eloquent manner, and hopefully, you will be able to find a peaceable resolution for both parties involved.
3. Don’t be cruel; be kind.
As cliché as it sounds, it is best to combat negativity with positivity. Sometimes, a girl won’t outright tell you how much she dislikes you, but you can see it in her actions. If someone seems to always be rude and spiteful towards you, don’t fight fire with fire. Stay calm and remain positive.
You don’t have to kiss her butt, but being nice is the best way to show the mean girl that she can roll her eyes at you all day, but she won’t steal your joy that easily. Just because she is unhappy, doesn’t mean you have to be too!
So the next time you find yourself in a catty situation, remember to keep a level head, see if it can be talked out, and if not, walk away with your head held high anyway. When you don’t give others the power to dictate the way you act and how you feel about yourself, you will walk away victorious and end up like this every time:
HCXO!