HANDOUT 2: Scenes of Prospective Conflict

Here are some situations where you might have trouble keeping your cool.

You drop your cell phone and somebody steps on it, destroying it.
Someone hits your compact car with their SUV.
You are a clerk in a store and a furious customer brings back a defective product.
Two of your friends have a fight, decide they hate each other, and insist you take sides.
Your parent has had a bad day and takes it out on you with constant criticism.
Your sibling will not leave you alone.
A friend asks you for the five millionth time to loan them something you know you will never get back.
Your boyfriend or girlfriend breaks up with you with an email or text.
A slacker at work messes something up, blames it on you, and you get fired.
A friend borrows your car and gets in a wreck, totaling your car. Your friend was at fault.
A shipping company lost the package your brother sent you. When you call, they treat you disrespectfully, tell you there's nothing they can do, and warn you not to call again.
When you call tech support for your computer, you get a technician whose accent makes it hard for you to understand what they are saying. You cannot tell if this person understands what you are saying, either.
You've been in line for a long time. When you finally step up to the counter, the cashier closes the line.

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Last updated on Thursday, October 27, 2011.

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