the more functional side of that person emerges and a reasonable resolution can be realized. The graph above demonstrates that whenever emotions are high, rationality and logic are low.
The officer must not take anger or aggression personally. When an irate citizen is yelling or screaming at an officer, it is not directed at the man or woman wearing the uniform, but rather at the uniform itself. The uniform is the most immediate representation of authority available at the moment. It is not personal, as the officer does not know that irate citizen and the irate citizen does not know the officer. It is important to not meet anger with anger. People will feel more aligned to the officer if they feel that they are being heard and understood. By demonstrating empathy, the officer is assigning a level of importance to what that person might be feeling; it also gives the officer some context as to what is happening with that person.
Using Empathy. Empathy, the ability to identify with and understand another’s emotion, does not mean that you necessarily agree with that person, but that you are able to understand the emotion that they are experiencing. In utilizing empathy properly, the officer should always give special attention to matters of importance, whether or not it is important to the officer. If an issue is important to someone, then it is important, and it deserves that level of respect.
Embracing Difficult Encounters. The video reminds police officers that people do not call the police when things are going well, so the police usually encounter a citizen during a time of crisis when emotion is ruling the moment. We should look to embrace those difficult encounters, as they ultimately become our greatest teachers. They teach us the strategies to manage future difficult encounters by drawing upon prior experiences and revisiting what has been successful. Usually, we derive our most powerful life-lessons from the most difficult encounters.