Qualifiers That Can Help De-escalate an Angry Interaction

Qualifiers are words, phrase and sentences that can be used to de-escalate a potentially negative, angry, or potentially dangerous nteraction when the person we are talking to might feel attacked or threatened and go into fight, flight, or freeze mode.

• MAYBE

• POSSIBLY

• I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT

• I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO DO

• I DON'T KNOW

• I COULD BE WRONG

• THAT'S POSSIBLE

• LET ME CHECK ON THAT

• YOU COULD BE RIGHT

• THAT COULD BE IT

• THAT MIGHT BE TRUE

• I CAN'T REMEMBER FOR SURE

• LET ME GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT

• LET ME THINK ABOUT THAT

• I UNDERSTAND

• I NEED TO CHECK ON THAT

• HANG ON FOR A SECOND

• I'D LIKE TO NEGOTIATE

• YOU'RE PROBABLY RIGHT