When someone accuses you of having bad intentions, it’s natural to feel the urge to defend yourself and your intentions. However, this often doesn’t improve the situation.

Instead, try to listen for the underlying feelings and address those first before addressing the accusation of bad intentions.

📌 Begin by validating their feelings: “It seems like what I said really hurt you.”

📌 Take responsibility for the impact: “I genuinely don’t like causing you any pain.”

📌 Then, initiate a conversation about how you both can handle similar situations differently in the future: “Let’s discuss what I could do or say, if anything, in similar situations down the road.”

This approach prioritizes empathy and collaborative problem-solving, fostering a more productive and understanding dialogue.