Negativity can be difficult to deal with and if you are not careful it can sap your own energy. However, you can learn to talk to negative people.

By Vikas Agarwal

1. Avoid them  The first thing you might want to do with negative people is avoid them. If they always seem to lack hope and make negative or derogatory remarks, then they are probably someone that you don't want to have in your life. You may have to be strong and cut off contact with someone who is habitually negative.  However, it is not always possible to avoid negative people; sometimes you just have to deal with them, and here is how to do that and remain positive yourself. 

2. Realize what the problem is  Too often when we meet negative people, we blame ourselves for the problem. We think we didn't make them like us or we did something to upset them. That is not always the case.  If you analyze your communication and you find no fault, and that you maintained a polite, respectful and positive attitude and you were still met with negativity, accept that you are not to blame and that the other person has to take the responsibility for their own negativity.

3. Ask what's wrong  If you are met with a negative attitude, sometimes (more often than not) it can be fixed if you approach it in the right manner.  So, do not be judgemental, but ask politely and calmly, "is something wrong?" or "you seem upset; why is that?" The person with the negative attitude may actually be glad of the opportunity to talk about how they are feeling and this is often the fastest way to resolve the negativity.

4. Remain positive  Don't let the other person's negativity drag you down and make you negative too. Sometimes you will meet people who revel in being negative. It's like a game to them and they will enjoy countering everything you say. Don't let that get to you and make you negative too.  You and you alone are responsible for how you feel. You have the power to choose whether to allow someone else's negative attitude to affect you badly.  In that respect, you have to accept that conversations are two-way processes and let go of your need to control everything about how the conversation goes. Unfortunately, you don't get to do that so give up trying to control every aspect of the conversation. It may be that you can't turn it around and make them positive, in every instance.

5. Be encouraging  It could be that the person who is habitually negative is actually depressed and needs professional help. Especially if you know this person well, you could be sensitive but suggest that they seek help for how they are feeling.