How to Get Along With Others

by Brenda Williams

If you live with a roommate or boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, or other person, it can often be difficult to get along with them. At some point, the other person will do something or say something to get on your nerves. It is almost an inevitability! So, what can you do about it? First of all, realize that we are not meant to be exactly like each other. If that were the case, could you imagine how boring this world would be?!

Secondly, realize that because of the differences you and your loved ones may share that you will have to compromise. For example, my boyfriend and I live together in a small one-bedroom apartment. I am an excessive neat-freak and at first, he was not. However, before I agreed to allow him to move in, I made him well aware of this fact as well as my intolerance for slovinliness! As a result, he has almost completely shed his sloppy ways and has come to appreciate what a neat living space can mean. There are some small things here and there such as dishes being left in the sink or books being left out in piles on the desk, but I had to stop myself and ask, "Are these things really worth arguing over? Or am I just being petty by bringing them up?"

When you live with someone else, you really have to pick and choose your battles. You need to realize that that person is not an exact replica of you; they don't think exactly like you, therefore the same things that bother you may not be the same things that bother them. Give them credit where credit is due. Too often we are hard on others who may have done a thousand things right but messed up on one thing. We tend to focus on the one thing that they did wrong versus the other nine hundred and ninety-nine things that they did right. Now, is that fair? The best way to get along well with others is to sit down and talk about your feelings. I know this sounds cheesy, but if you sit down and really hash out what it is that is bothering you without offending the other person, then you will both be much better because of it. It is not appropriate to allow things to go on, all the while letting it bother you and build up inside until one day you finally snap at them.

Learn how to be an adult and present such issues as a way to voice your opinions on things. A lot of the time, the other person doesn't realize that they've even done something wrong and will be more than happy to address the issue. Similarly, if you work in an office environment and have a group presentation to give at an upcoming meeting, you need to collaborate and be able to work with other team members, expressing your ideas, concerns and opinions. Communication is such an important and necessary part of having successful relationships with any person you meet.