-- Posted by duesxmachina at 1:17 pm on Oct. 23, 2008 When i get in an arguement with anyone, but specially my dad, i start to feel kind of suffocated, like there words are distracting me from my body and i start to get so pissed. it doesn't matter what the person says. how do i not get sucked into pointless arguements while also getting my point across and not being stepped over? -- Posted by Solitude at 3:04 am on Nov. 16, 2008 try to stay calm and don't yell. It takes time but you'll get there -- Posted by Bearsy at 8:44 am on Nov. 16, 2008 A lot of people think of argument as a bad thing for some reason (I think it's a useful and highly necessary thing) and automatically conduct themselves crudely in argument. If you approach someone and you seem angry, they'll automatically go into defense mode and start talking to you in a harsh tone. If you can stay calm though and speak to people in a rational voice he'll be a lot more likely to do the same thing back. I know it's harder just because he's your dad and you feel entitled to express your opinion with him, but try to imagine your parents are someone else's parents and they'll seem considerably less annoying. As for not getting sucked into the pointless stuff, you have to learn to pick your battles. If you know you're fighting over something retarded, take a deep breath and leave it be. The other person might feel like they've won for a few seconds, but you'll end up happier if you can let the small stuff go.