How To Deal With Difficult Neighbors, According To A Conflict Expert

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neighbors fighting with neighbors

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How to remove emotions

Anyone can become defensive when they feel the complaint is an attack on their character, but there are ways to avoid that. “Separating the person from the problem means that it is a certain behavior or action that is impacting you not the person. In other words, it’s not personal,” Peterman says. “For example, you may like your neighbor as a person, but you do not like stepping over fallen trash because they did not completely empty the trash bins. In this scenario, the problem is the unsightly and smelly trash, not the neighbor. When you speak to them, try to frame the issue around the problem and not make it about the person.”

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