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Ken Parsell is the author of The Catalyst of Confidence and Discipline. He maintained this blog from 2011 to 2014. He is now working on other projects. Visit his website at www.kennethparsell.com.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Ignorance and Patience

Few things are more difficult to tolerate than sheer unbridled ignorance. But unless you have a considerable amount of influence with the other person, or unless they are genuinely seeking your answers—it's probably best to keep your mouth shut. Of course you can always just “stick it to them” or “put them in their place” or “blow them out of the water.” And though a response of this nature might help you feel a bit better, it will probably do more harm than good. For by reacting in such a way you will likely destroy any potential you had to influence the other person for the better. After all, it's near impossible to convince another person to change their mind about something in one big leap. But with a little patience, slow and unforced baby steps can add up over time.

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