Hard Conversations Are Uncomfortable

Ling Ling, Tai

Oct 21, 2021 — 1 min read

Hard conversations make people feel uncomfortable. Uncomfortable because people anticipate negative outcomes or intense emotions from the conversation. Usually, the source of difficult discussions and conflict comes from miscommunication and misunderstanding.

Barriers may appear in challenging conversations. For one, the other person is not making an effort to listen. Or they are constantly making you feel small or dismiss your views or opinions. In such a scenario, it's better to step away. Say

I'm not feeling heard right now. I need to step away now or revisit this conversation another time.

In other instances, you might get defensive. Then it is best to step back and ask yourself...

What is this bringing up for me? What is my ego telling me right now? Is it true?

This is when we need to start having the hard conversations with ourselves first, before approaching the other.

No matter how uncomfortable the conversation is, it is better to show up imperfectly than avoid it altogether. Through hard conversations, you can learn much about yourself and become a better person.

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