cover of episode Bill Eddy: How to Deal With High Conflict People

Bill Eddy: How to Deal With High Conflict People

2024/10/28
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Huberman Lab

Key Insights

What is a high conflict person?

A high conflict person is someone preoccupied with blaming others and has persistent conflict in their relationships.

How do high conflict personalities differ from personality disorders?

High conflict personalities are preoccupied with blame, while personality disorders involve a narrow range of interpersonal behavior that doesn't change.

Why is it important to wait a year before committing in a relationship?

Waiting a year allows time to see patterns of behavior and avoid rushing into relationships that may reveal high conflict traits later.

How can you recognize a high conflict person?

Look for disproportionate emotions, blaming words, all-or-nothing thinking, and extreme behaviors that most people wouldn't do.

What should you avoid when dealing with a high conflict person?

Avoid blaming them, emphasizing the past, focusing on emotions, and labeling them with mental disorders.

What is the CARS method for interacting with high conflict people?

CARS stands for Connecting, Analyzing, Responding, and Setting Limits. It involves showing empathy, getting them to think, giving brief informative responses, and setting clear limits with consequences.

Why do high conflict people struggle to resolve conflicts?

They seem to get stuck in denial and anger, lacking the normal human grieving and healing process that leads to resolution.

How can social media impact high conflict behavior?

Social media can reinforce high conflict behavior by allowing bullies and high conflict personalities to find communities that support their negative behaviors.

What are some signs of a high conflict personality in the workplace?

Look for patterns of blaming others, lack of self-restraint, and behaviors that alienate colleagues or disrupt work environments.

How can you manage emotions and relationships with EAR statements?

EAR statements involve showing Empathy, Attention, and Respect to help manage emotions and improve relationships.

Chapters

The episode explores the nature of high-conflict personalities, their differences from personality disorders, and their prevalence. Bill Eddy discusses how these personalities manifest and the challenges they pose in various settings.
  • High-conflict personalities are distinct from personality disorders.
  • These personalities often involve cycles of blame and drama.
  • Such individuals can be recognized by their persistent blaming behavior.

Shownotes Transcript

In this episode, my guest is Bill Eddy, a lawyer, licensed therapist, professional mediator, and faculty member at the Pepperdine University School of Law. He specializes in identifying, reducing friction with, and disentangling from high-conflict individuals. We explain how high-conflict personalities differ from personality disorders and examine the cycles of blame and drama that cause persistent conflict in their relationships.

We discuss how to quickly recognize high-conflict individuals based on specific criteria and behaviors, helping listeners learn to spot their less obvious tactics. You’ll also learn how to disengage from them with minimal friction and understand the methods they use to draw people back in or keep conflict alive.

Additionally, we cover effective communication strategies for mediating situations involving high-conflict individuals, emphasizing empathy and problem-solving approaches. This episode equips listeners with tools to navigate conflict in various contexts, promoting resolutions that benefit all parties involved.

Access the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com).

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Timestamps

00:00:00 Bill Eddy

00:02:58 Sponsors: Maui Nui & ExpressVPN

00:06:41 High-Conflict Families, High-Conflict Individuals & Patterns

00:10:48 Personality Disorders, Prevalence & Overlap

00:18:28 High-Conflict Personality vs. Personality Disorders, Blame

00:24:33 High-Conflict Individuals, Tool: First-Year Rule & Commitment

00:30:53 Sponsor: AG1

00:32:05 Relationship Stability, Tool: Vetting Potential Partners

00:38:54 Heightened Emotions, Negative Advocates, Divorce

00:47:50 Brain, Plasticity & Fear; Bullies, Polarization

00:54:51 Sponsors: Function & David

00:58:00 Emotions, Media, Politics

01:04:57 Tool: WEB Method, Identify High-Conflict Individuals

01:12:20 Body Cues, Identify High-Conflict Individuals

01:18:40 Tool: Don’t Label & Empathy; Adapting Your Behavior

01:23:12 High Conflict Personalities & Occupations

01:28:18 Big Personalities: Evidence vs Assumptions

01:37:27 Tool: Leaving a Combative High-Conflict Individual, Blame, Gradual Exit

01:45:41 Exiting a High Conflict Relationship & Timing

01:49:27 Tool: Disentangling from a Victim High-Conflict Individual, “Hoovering”

01:52:32 High Conflict Divorce, Small Families & Parental Estrangement

01:57:01 Tool: Managing Emotions & Relationships, EAR Statements

01:59:52 Large Families & Conflict Resolution

02:04:11 Bullies & Online Social Groups

02:09:18 Personality Disorders, Causes, Culture

02:13:09 Tool: 4 “Fuhgeddaboudits”, Topics to Avoid in High Conflict Resolution

02:19:50 Tool: CARS Method, Connecting & EAR Statements, Analyzing

02:27:03 Tool: CARS Method, Responding & BIFF Response, Setting Limits & SLIC

02:36:40 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

Disclaimer & Disclosures)