Smart Ways To Manage A Competitive Friend

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Having a competitive friend can be a difficult experience, everything they do is to prove in one way or another that they are better than you or more better off than you are, rather than enjoying your successes and celebrating your accomplishments. DAMILOLA OJO shares ways to deal with a competitive friend.

 

Try to Be Understanding

It goes without saying that it’s not right to judge a person till you have been or at least tried to be in their shoes. Your overly competitive friend probably has self-esteem issues that’s stirring up this jealousy and competitiveness in them. This doesn’t excuse their behavior but it does help you see where they are coming from and potentially help them.

 

Talk To Them

Sometimes your friends might not even know that they are being competitive. Try talking to them and let them know your feelings about the situation. Stage a kind of intervention where you calmly relate with them and give instances of their competitiveness (preferably with evidence or with a witness, who might also be a close friend), with the intention of helping them in any way you can.

 

Ensure You Keep Your Cool

As much as possible try not to lose your temper with them, even if your intervention fails and they end up defending themselves and their actions. Walk away from the scene if you have to. You have to remember that getting angry will not help the situation. Once you’re calm, it’ll be easier for you to figure out what next to do.

 

Recognize Their Good Qualities

Competitiveness is an obnoxious quality that has a way of overshadowing the good qualities that a person might have. Try not to let that be the case with your friend. Make an effort to recognize the good qualities that attracted you to the friend in the first place.

 

Be Supportive