Emotions are essential factors in effective interpersonal relationships. They imbue meaning and strength to a person’s responses to changes in the relationship, providing it depth and color as the mind piles up memories upon memories (Mayer, Caruso & Salovey, 2000). Emotions also track relationships in terms of inner experiences. Although positive emotions give your relationship meaning and depth, negative emotions threaten the relationship when they are out of control. Moreover, it is not always easy to recognize emotions, what they mean, and how to manage these. People who can do that are known today as emotionally intelligent.
Emotional intelligence involves the …show more content…
A study in 24 peaceful societies revealed interesting varieties of strategies to manage interpersonal conflicts. The first is self-restraint. It is the most effective approach at diffusing a brewing conflict between you both before it occurs. It means reminding yourself that heightened emotional states; that allowing the self to express such feelings leads quickly into further trouble (Bonta, 1996). Your wisest option is to avoid it if possible. That means keeping your emotions in full …show more content…
Maintain a joking atmosphere without offending the other person’s sensibility, or minimizing issues brought up in the misunderstanding. This approach works well between persons who know each other for a significant length of time so that they know very well how to make each other laugh in spite of themselves. If you do not know the other person that much, avoid using this strategy as it may backfire. However, if done correctly with appropriate timing, it can be as effective, if not more, as self-restraint in diffusing conflict. If self-restraint and humor fail, the next alternative is temporary physical separation (Bonta, 1996). This is a very practical approach. If getting near each other will not avoid the expression of heightened emotions, removing oneself physically from the other effectively removes the stimulus of the conflict. That is, temporarily, or until the heightened emotions dissipate and when open and honest conversation becomes possible once