How To Respond To Emotional Immaturity Without Losing Yourself

Emotional immaturity in others doesn’t have to pull you back into your old self. You can choose to be steady, self-respecting, and kind, without over-functioning, over-explaining, or over-owning things that aren’t yours. Here are some scripts to help you respond to a person displaying emotional immaturity, without losing yourself:

“I’m not trying to blame you. I’m just explaining how that moment felt for me.”

“We might see this differently, and that’s okay. I just need you to hear me out.”

“It’s hard for me to keep talking when I feel dismissed. Let’s pause and come back when we can both listen.”

“I appreciate what you’ve done for me, but that doesn’t change how I feel about this situation.”

“I want to understand what’s upsetting you, but I can’t do that if I’m being blamed for how you feel.”

“I’m not trying to start a fight. I’d like to have a real conversation when you’re ready.”

“Okay, we can take a break. But I do want to come back to this because it matters to me.”

“I’m open to talking when you can do it respectfully.”

“It might not feel like a big deal to you, but it does to me.”

“When you say that, I feel like my emotions don’t matter. Can you try to see where I’m coming from?”

“This isn’t about being right. It’s about trying to understand each other.”

“I don’t need to win this argument. I just want to be honest about how I feel.”

“I don’t want to go in circles. Let’s pause and talk later.”

“I’ve said what I needed to say. I don’t think continuing right now will help.”

“I’m not comfortable with how this conversation is going. I’m going to step away.”