Being friends doesn’t mean you’ll never argue. Disagreeing can be a sign of a healthy relationship, especially if it’s done respectfully.
How to fight fair
FIND CONNECTIONS
- Don’t make accusations. Say, “I felt ‘X’ when ‘Y’ happened,” instead of “I can’t believe you did that to me.”
- Never call your friend names or use physical threats or violence.
- Don’t broadcast your argument to other people. That means not writing about it on social media or telling other friends about your fight.
- Stay calm. If you find yourself getting upset, take time out. Agree to talk again once you’ve had time to cool off.
- Don’t bring up old grudges. Discuss the conflict you’re dealing with now, not one that you had six months ago.
Making up
Try not to stay mad for long. Take a step back and think about whether the argument is worth losing the friendship over. If it isn’t, here are some ways to make up:
- Apologize.
- Try to explain where you were coming from.
- Make plans to see each other soon.
- Do something fun and try to put the argument aside.
- If there’s more to say, meet somewhere neutral (like a coffee shop) and try to talk about it calmly.
- Try to forgive and move on.
- Agree to disagree. Try to move on in the friendship even if you don’t come up with a solution to your argument.