15 Best Difficult People Quotes You Should Read: Always remember, you’re going to come across three types of people in your life: The ones who helped you in your difficult times. The ones who abandoned you in your difficult times. The ones who were the reason behind your difficult times.
We will skip right to the people who were the reason behind your difficult time because this is precisely what this article is about.
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We have all been in situations where we come face to face with a person who proves to be incredibly difficult and all attempts to reason with them go in vain.
What to do in such a situation? How to respond to an unreasonable and difficult person?
You will get the answer to all these questions in the form of quotes which we have discussed below.
Here’s a compilation of 15 quotes on how to deal with difficult people, how to respond to their unreasonable selves, and what to do about them in general.
Make sure you also check out the Toxic People Quotes we compiled.
People inspire you, or they drain you. Pick them wisely. (Hans F. Hansen)
Hans F. Hansen is a famous author. His advice about choosing the people we let into our lives is quite practical.
We come across many people in our lives. Some have a positive effect on us and inspire us in more than one way. Such people are always good to be around. Their presence uplifts us and brings out the best in us. These are the people we need to hold on to because good people are hard to come by.
But let’s get to the main point – the people who drain you. Yes, not everyone will see the good in you. There will always be people who will put you in a complex situation all the time. Such people should be avoided and if necessary, you should walk away from them.
You don’t ever have to feel guilty about removing toxic people from your life. (Daniell Koepke)
Daniell Koepke, a writer, and clinical psychology student, also shares the same thought about difficult people.
If you’re getting negative vibes from a person, you should try to avoid them and remove such toxic people from your life.
If you’re surrounded by difficult people, chances are that it will have a negative effect on your personality, health, and life as well.
The best thing to do is to let go of them.
You might feel bad for cutting off ties with them at first, but you don’t have to. Anyone who is being difficult and giving you a hard time needs to go. It’s for your own good.
It’s better to be healthy alone than sick with someone else. (Phil Mcgraw)
Phil McGraw or most commonly known as Dr. Phil gives us a piece of useful advice regarding difficult people.
We all know how hard it is to avoid difficult people. But you should also understand that they won’t change. In order to distance yourself from such people, you should accept the fact that no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you try to accommodate them, they will never change.
They are hopeless.
Once this fact has fully registered in your mind, you can try to remove them from your life.
While it may not have any sort of effect on them, living a life surrounded by difficult people will definitely make your life miserable. Constant tension from their side may take a toll on your mental health.
So, follow Dr. Phil’s advice and stay healthy alone rather than destroying your peace of mind and health for someone who brings toxicity to your life.
You cannot hang out with negative people and expect to live a positive life. (Joel Osteen)
Joel Osteen is an American pastor, televangelist, and author from Houston. He explains how difficult people can have a negative effect on us.
People who fall into the category of being toxic, are usually unaware of how their behavior impacts the lives of those around them.
They find some sort of satisfaction in creating issues out of petty matters.
They behave in such a way that it irritates the other person and pushes their buttons.
They unnecessarily create a stressful environment that can have a negative impact on the lives of everyone involved.
It makes the other person irate and anguished. Staying in a state of mental suffering for a long period can leave an unpleasant mark on your life.
So instead of putting up with all of this torment, it’s better to step aside. You don’t have to endure all the negativity and ruin your life. Just put aside all the difficult people and breathe freely.
Don’t let negative and toxic people rent space in your head. Raise the rent and kick them out. (Robert Tew)
Robert Tew, also known as Robbie Tew is a former rugby league footballer. He has said many famous lines about how to deal with difficult people. Most of his quotes are about walking out on such people.
Toxic people will continuously say or do something which might cause you distress.
Their actions and words will leave you angry and sad. The trick is to not think about what they’ve done because if you let it stay in your mind, chances are that you will remain frustrated and miserable.
If you keep thinking about ways to help them or understand the reason behind their behavior, you will lose your sanity.
So you should follow Robbie’s advice and think happy thoughts. You should think about removing these people as a way to clear out the mess in your life. It should leave you happy and content.
Just because you’re dealing with difficult people, does not mean that you must become like them. (David Leddick)
David Leddick is a famous author, playwright, and actor. He’s famous for his book, “I’m Not For Everyone. Neither Are You!”
You will inevitably come across people you just cannot stand. They can be anyone – relatives, colleagues, or neighbors.
They will come into your life, annoy you, infuriate you, and bug the hell out of you. They will make you feel aggravated and get under your skin. But you have to keep your cool.
Dealing with difficult people can be very exasperating. You might want to tell them off or reprimand them, but you don’t want to stoop to their level now, do you? You have to stay strong and think straight. They’re just testing your patience and want you to lose your head.
If you start acting like them, there won’t be any difference between you and those people.
They may drive you crazy, but you can control that. You should keep in mind that you have power over your emotions. If you exercise that power, the negativity will not have any influence on your state of mind.
Remember not only to say the right thing at the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. (Benjamin Franklin)
Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, has taught us a valuable lesson in keeping control of ourselves in difficult situations.
When we’re in the company of a group of people, it’s very easy to go with the flow and talk about what is right and what is wrong, in a casual manner.
But during this chit-chat, a difficult person will probably say something that might strike the wrong chord, in which case you would like to answer back.
This is exactly what they want. They deliberately rub you up the wrong way, to get you to respond harshly. If you do in fact retort, you might regret it later on.
But the toxic person will seize this opportunity to create a chaotic environment. They will use it against you and try to ruin your reputation.
So what exactly should be done in such a case? Stay quiet. Silence is the key. Just smile and nod at whatever they say.
Don’t let them get to you. You might be tempted to say something impolite to get back at them, but you’ll have to control your emotions. It’s difficult but not impossible.
When faced with senseless drama, spiteful circumstances and misguided opinions, walking away is the best way to stand up for yourself. To respond with anger is an endorsement of their attitude. (Dodinsky)
Dodinsky is the author of the inspirational and reflective books, “In the Garden of Thoughts” and “In the Garden of Happiness”. He is famous for his spiritual quotes.
He tells us that instead of giving fuel to worsen a situation, you should walk away with dignity. This will keep your self-respect in place and simmer down the ongoing chaos.
If you respond to a difficult person with anger, you are in a way fulfilling their motive and showing acceptance to their unreasonable and absurd behavior.
This is exactly what you shouldn’t do when dealing with such an individual.
Stay quiet, listen, and try to understand. If that doesn’t work, take a deep breath and count to ten to cool down. Next, simply remove yourself from that place and from the company of that person.
If they do it often, it isn’t a mistake; it’s just their behaviour. (Dr. Steve Maraboli)
Steve Maraboli is an American motivational speaker and author. He tells us how to identify a difficult person.
To err is human. You usually brush off many things considering them to be mistaken.
You give benefit of doubt to people if they do something out of the ordinary.
But what about someone who does the same thing repeatedly? Even after knowing that the other person is feeling uncomfortable or triggered? People who are habitual of doing the same thing again and again, are difficult by nature. They don’t do things by mistake, it’s in their nature to be annoying and bothersome. They can’t help it and neither can you.
So if you come across a habitually obnoxious person, it’s time to part ways.
Nobody has the right to cause you distress. If any situation or person is making you feel uncomfortable, you have every right to walk away.
If that’s not an option, you can always avoid them. But the main point is to not let them antagonize you at any cost.
Difficult people are the greatest teachers. (Pema Chodron)
Pema Chodron is an American nun and author. She believes that we can learn a lot from difficult people.
You must have read the phrase, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!”
The same principle can be applied when you’re dealing with difficult people.
How can you interact with them with the hope of a positive outcome?
When you encounter a difficult or toxic person, your first reaction is to feel uneasy in their presence. Then you start focusing on their behavior and the possible reasons behind it. You even end up avoiding them completely.
But sometimes, you take their presence as an opportunity to learn about yourself.
How you ask?
Well, a difficult person seems so bothersome because there are some similarities between us. Maybe, at some point in your life, you have acted like a difficult person for someone else. Experiencing the same thing from the receiving end, makes you realize how it feels. You have regrets. You learn not to repeat that mistake.
There’s a very famous saying by an unknown person, “Be thankful for all the difficult people in your life and learn from them.
They have shown you exactly who you do not want to be.”
This is what Pema Chodron is trying to tell us. The behavior of a toxic person should be used to reflect upon yourself.
You should observe all the things a difficult person does or says, and make a mental note to not repeat that behavior. Learn to be a better person by avoiding doing things that might upset someone.
Show respect even to people who don’t deserve it; not as a reflection of their character, but as a reflection of yours. (Dave Willis)
Dave Willis is an American voice actor and writer. He’s also a producer and musician. He gives us the lesson to show respect to people, regardless of how they behave towards you.
This is actually very good advice. It’s not very practical but it’s enlightening.
It teaches us moral values.
It’s not easy to be respectful of someone who is giving you a hard time.
But we should try to see the background of their behavior. Maybe some past event caused them to become like that. Maybe they are victims of being surrounded by difficult people, who made them into what they are today.
Avoiding them or walking out on them doesn’t have to be done in a harsh way. You can always do it, without making them feel bad.
They might drive you up the wall at times, but still, you have to empathize with them.
There’s a slim chance, but maybe your respectful behavior makes them realize how toxic they have been towards you and other people in general. Maybe they learn from it and try to mend their ways? Just maybe.
Love difficult people. You are one of them. (Bob Goff)
Bob Goff is a famous author, known for his book “Love Does”. He tells us to love difficult people and not despise them, as we ourselves can be difficult for someone, unknowingly.
As humans, we all make mistakes, we all act nasty towards somebody, we all lose our patience and act up. This doesn’t make you hateful. The difficult people you encounter in your lives aren’t hateful either.
You should try to put yourself in their shoes.
The point is that most people act in a certain way because of their own issues.
Your job is to be considerate and reasonable towards them and view the situation with a clear mind, in order to come up with a solution.
If you separate the person from the issue and think of them as an individual who has gone through a lot of sufferings, it will be easier to have empathetic feelings for them. You will find it easier to have a soft corner for them in your heart, instead of thinking of them as the root of the problem.
Revenge keeps you physically connected to another in a negative way. Release yourself through the liberating act of forgiveness, and learn a truly valuable spiritual lesson. (Sri Gawn Tu Fahr)
Sri Gawn Tu Fahr is a philosopher and an inspirational writer. He tells us to forgive the person who is being unreasonable.
He’s right! Plotting revenge against someone makes us a bad person.
No matter how upset a person makes you, no matter how much toxicity surrounds them, you should always be the bigger person and forgive them.
There’s no need to cloud your mind with thoughts of revenge. This mindset of forgiveness makes you different from that person.
How you treat a difficult person, is a reflection of your character. You have to rise above the hate and move on, stronger and better.
Difficult people may be your greatest gift in attaining the characters. (Vincent Thomas)
Vincent Thomas was a Democratic Party politician from California. He also tells us that having a difficult person around you makes you look at yourself from a different angle.
It is natural for a human to avoid situations or circumstances that lead to difficulty. It would be a learning experience for you if you view such instances as a gift to learn more about yourself. Working with toxic people allows us to learn from them.
The question is what do you learn from difficult people?
You learn to adapt, you learn to grow and you learn to change.
Dealing with difficult people is like stumbling upon a rock in your path. It teaches you to be watchful and more vigilant in life.
A difficult person makes sure to point out your flaws and shortcomings.
This is where adaptation comes in.
By pointing out your mistakes, they make you learn to be open to suggestions from others, instead of getting offended.
He who is devoid of the power to forgive; is devoid of the power to love. (Martin Luther King Jr.)
We will wrap up this article by this famous saying of Martin Luther King Jr. in which he gives us the lesson of being forgiving.
The end is always about love and forgiveness.
No matter what you have gone through in your life at the hands of difficult people, in the end, you should always be big enough to be able to forgive them. If you have the heart to bury the hatchet, it means you have a loving nature.
It’s hard to deal with difficult people with compassion and patience, but believe me, if you practice this habit, it will help in lessening the distress, improving your communication skills, and giving you a higher level of confidence.
