Negativity

[Jazzy]

How do you comfort someone who will counter what you said with negativity?

For example: Your friend failed a test and they were ranting to you about it. You've asked questions to clarify what actually happened. Now it's time to say something, and you said, "I know you can get a higher grade on your next exam," and they said, "I'm stupid, no matter how much I study, I always fail."

How do you respond?

 

[Lamb]

For me it depends on who it is. If that person is a close friend who always criticizes himself, I try to think of the smart things he's done. If it's a friend I don't know as well, I'll ignore the comment and try to encourage studying more for the next test.