Conflict occurs when emphasis is placed on the differences between people. The more differences there seem to be, the more divided you become. You get along better with people when the emphasis is on similarities. The difference between conflict with a friend and conflict with a difficult person is that with a friend, the conflict is tempered by things you have in common. Obviously, then, reducing differences is essential to your success in dealing with people you can’t stand.

Here are some key tools for reducing conflict.