Dealing with Offense
Offense is an inevitable part of life! Oftentimes, the problem is not about the offense, it’s about how you react, respond, or treat offense. That’s what counts!
As long as you live in this world, among human beings, you must offend someone. Someone must offend you. The ability to manage offense and still maintain your sanity is what makes you a mature human being.
Learn to deal with offenses. They are part of your life. And you need offenses to help build your character. If you don’t want to be offended, then you better leave this world.
Sometimes, people offend others deliberately; sometimes they do it inadvertently.
Whichever way it comes, you must be ready to handle it responsibly.Â
Being overtly reactive, keeping stone face, isolating yourself while bemoaning yourself are some of the irresponsible ways of handling offense.Â
Offenses are better handled in two ways:
Talk about it and forget about it.
OrÂ
Ignore it and continue your life. Those who grumble inside over offense and refuse to talk about it or let go of them, cause themselves internal health disaster and put their sanity on the edge.
You can never determine when and how offenses will come, or from who they might come from. However, it comes, learn to manage offense and move on with your life.
Offenses are part of life. The earlier you learn to deal with them responsibly, the better for your health, your sanity and your peace.
Dr. Joseph C. Ibekwe
