Professional Speaking: Known. Booked. Paid.13 Feb 2022

How to Deal with Difficult People: Jeremy Sherman on the Psychology of Arguing with Assholes

How do you deal with genuinely difficult people without becoming one yourself?

Jeremy Sherman has spent years studying the psychology of what he calls psychoproctology -- the science of understanding the asshole mindset. Drawing on multiple disciplines across the human sciences and years of study at some of the US's leading academic institutions, Jeremy has developed a rigorous framework for understanding why certain people argue the way they do, whether they know they're doing it, and how to counter it effectively.

This is a fun, frank, and genuinely illuminating conversation about one of the most universal human challenges -- navigating the difficult, the toxic, and the deliberately obstructive.

Please note this episode contains strong language.

What you'll learn in this episode

What psychoproctology actually is and why it matters, what actually qualifies someone as an asshole -- and whether they know it, why Yoda was wrong in Star Wars and what that has to do with human behaviour, how to use irony as a tool of persuasion, practical strategies for tackling trolls and bad faith arguers, and why failing to counter difficult behaviour could have consequences far beyond the individual encounter.

About Jeremy Sherman

Jeremy Sherman is a researcher, writer, and self-proclaimed psychoproctologist whose work spans psychology, philosophy, and the social sciences. His book is What's Up With Assholes. Find out more at jeremysherman.com.

Books mentioned in this episode

Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace by Joseph Williams, and Building Great Sentences by Brooks Landon, available via Audible's Great Courses series.

Visit strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form at this link and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect, email john@presentinfluence.com or find John on LinkedIn.

All clips and episodes are on the Present Influence YouTube channel.

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Related episodes: Mind Control, Mentalism and Manipulation with Duncan Stevens

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