A person becomes ignorant when they think they are educated when they're not, know something when they do not, or are more aware than others. And it's how to deal with ignorant people that causes us frustration and aggravates us.
Ignorance is defined by Webster's Dictionary as "a lack of knowledge, education, or awareness". Now, not being aware, educated, or knowledgeable is not a negative thing in itself. It simply implies that a person does not know or is not aware of something.
For example, a computer geek may be knowledgeable about computers but does not know a thing about cars or aware that if he does not put water in the radiator the engine could overheat and became damaged.
What is more damaging is when one is ignorant in such a way that they think they know more than others and refusal to listen to others' viewpoints.
Here are some tips on how to deal with ignorant people.
1. Ignore Them
Ignorant people and rude people are similar in the sense that they both need attention. The rude person is invasive to get attention while the ignorant person is a know-it-all. The ignorant person wants to impress people with his mental abilities. However, both the ignorant person and the rude person can be equally annoying.
But you can deal with the ignorant person just like you would the rude person. That is, ignore them. In fact, ignoring the ignorant person is perhaps the best way to deal with them; they need the attention of others to make them feel good about what they think they know.
2. Be Kind
Be kind to someone who irritates you? This sounds difficult and sometimes it is. But if you understand that ignorant people are not well informed and not necessarily bad, then you can access empathy for them.
Many ignorant people learned to talk about or say things that they know nothing about. They also have learned to give input without knowing all the facts.
You can often deal with ignorant people by just gently educating them about the situation. Being kind not only helps you down the road, but it also has the potential of placing you in a good position with the ignorant person.
3. Speak to the Person
Some ignorant people can be hard headed about their behavior, primarily because they may have a deep need to protect their ego from correction. This type of ignorant person can be a little more difficult to deal with. However, in some instances you can deal with them by taking them away, away from distractions, and explain how their behavior is damaging their reputations.
This could be especially effective for employers to utilize with ignorant employees that just do not seem to get it otherwise. There is little that could disrupt morale and production more than an ignorant person that is talking work related issues that they really do not totally understand, for talking about who will be laid-off when they are not part of management and in the know.
4. Have Patience
Many ignorant people do not realize that they do not know everything involved in particular situation, but instead assume that they do with the little information that have. They are presumptuous too. But, again, this does not make them bad people.
One of the most effective tools you can use in dealing with ignorant people is patience. Using patience helps you remain calm whenever interacting with ignorant people and helps them to slow down a bit and think it through before talking.
How to deal with ignorant people requires time and patience more than anything else. But also requires you to gently educate the ignorant person so that they can see the whole of a situation before they conclude that they know what it's all about.