Not everyone storms out during an argument. The truth is, a few people are fine to leave the room quietly before an argument even happens. Those who do so usually have the same personality traits, as per research. Here are ten of these traits.
What’s a time in your life when you decided that it wasn’t worth debating anymore?
Strong impulse control
People who walk away quietly during arguments usually have a lot of self-control. They’re able to avoid reactive fighting & the urge to “win,” according to research.
Individuals with self-control tend to demonstrate less verbal aggression than those who do, and that’s exactly what leaving quietly looks like. They simply don’t need the last word.
Low dispositional aggressiveness
Don’t mistake walking away as passivity. No, research has found that people who do so have lower levels of aggression, and they often don’t feel fueled by confrontation.
They’ll do whatever they can to avoid arguments. Conflicts simply don’t give them any sort of energy or happiness.
Attachment avoidance
Romantic process research has studied people’s sense of attachment. Research has found that people with an avoidant attachment style usually withdraw more during arguments because pulling back protects their internal space.
Choosing not to fight is a way for them to receive comfort. Essentially, it’s a way for them to protect themselves.
Unassertiveness
Unassertiveness is a common personality trait among those who avoid arguments. They’re not as extroverted as others & care a lot more about self-protection.
No, they don’t shut down arguments to be dramatic. The difference is simply that their default response isn’t a hard pushback, but rather, walking away.
Emotional stability
It’s no surprise that people who walk away from arguments are usually more emotionally stable. They don’t flip-flop between emotions all that quickly.
In fact, several studies on aggression have linked lower levels of neuroticism (experiencing lots of negative feelings) with calmer conflict behaviour. These people are naturally quite calm.
Conscientiousness
Anyone who’s conscientious is unlikely to argue all the time. They choose to self-manage instead. They’ll be aware of how they come across to others, and they tend to avoid any chances of unnecessary conflict from emerging.
Even the research backs it up. Conscientious people have lower aggression, so they’re less likely to argue.
Need for cognitive closure
Some people like quick answers & clear endings. To them, conflicts feel like a waste of time, and research has found that people who need closure will shut down open loops as quickly as they can.
What faster way to end an argument is there than walking out quietly? You’re able to just move on.
Emotionally intelligent
Surprise, surprise, people with higher emotional intelligence usually don’t respond aggressively. They’re more likely to avoid arguments entirely.
It’s because they’re able to regulate their inner signals & interpret the other person’s tone better, while also understanding that the argument isn’t going anywhere useful.
Harm-avoidant
Harm-avoidant people do exactly what it sounds like. They’ll avoid intense threat cues & show lower reactive aggression in conflict studies, so they’ll do whatever they can to avoid arguments.
They simply don’t want to deal with conflict. Instead, they’ll choose to walk out of the situation quietly.
Patient
Patient people aren’t the type to push back when tension escalates. They don’t feel rushed to correct or clap back in the moment, and provocation studies have connected their behaviour to lower aggression patterns.
They’d rather step away & leave the situation entirely. It doesn’t seem worth it to them.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.