How to Deal with People Who Push Your Buttons

Can You Be the Bigger Person?

Are they mere annoyances, or teachers who have come to bring us important lessons?

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

Ever notice how some people can really push your buttons and make you feel like a child again?

Whether it is a romantic partner, a friend, a co-worker, or a family member, we all have someone in our lives who makes us feel five years old or that we just can’t win. Whether consciously or unconsciously, these folks seem to have a special skill in being annoying and upsetting.

Even if you believe that everyone in our lives “is there for a reason” you may still want to run screaming from a room when certain people are in it. If they bring lessons, what do we have to do to learn them, and fast? Or what can we do to disengage from them?

We asked readers how they handle the button-pushers and, especially, how to be the bigger person. From offering blessings, to running in the opposite direction from aggravating situations, see their helpful tips for handling the people who get on our nerves.