Bad Habit #17 ~ Always Minimizing Situations

The psychological definition of minimizing situations, according to Wikipedia, is:

“a type of deception^[1] involving denial coupled with rationalisation in situations where complete denial is implausible. It is the opposite of exaggeration.

‘Minimization is one of the most common ways we reduce our feelings of guilt…”It’s not that big of a deal”‘.^[2]

People minimize situations to deflect responsibility, avoid conflict and confrontation with people they many have hurt or wronged, and frequently rationalize or deny any unacceptable behavior by saying “I was only kidding.”

People who minimize situations tend to use it as a manipulation tactic to excuse or trivialize behavior. Whether based in guilt, or lack of any real emotion toward the person injured, the end result is the same…a complete poo-pooing of their action or behavior.

Do you hurt people with jokes or teasing only to say “I was kidding”? Do you try to avoid conflict by saying “It’s no big deal’? Do YOU try to minimize your guilt by sweeping things under the rug? Isn’t it time to exchange that behavior? Isn’t it time to be happy?

Lee’s Challenge:

Nope – this is not me. I have a tendency to magnify situations, not minimize them.

Barbara’s Challenge:

I’m a recovering magnifier, so minimizing isn’t the flip side.  I’m working on keeping that balance…it’s one time when I find I’m a little more comfortable in the “gray area” of life.

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