To be successful in life, you are required to work with people. While college courses sometimes give students projects that must be completed within groups, in reality you are required to do more than simply be capable of working in a team.

Not only must you be able to work in a group, but you must also be capable of dealing with people, including those who are difficult.

Unfortunately, there are certain types of people in our world today who like to take advantage of others. When meeting you, they will instantly size you up to determine whether or not a person is weak or not, and if they detect an individual who is timid, they will attempt to take advantage of him in a number of ways.

There is little you can do to avoid these types, however you can be cautious and guard yourself against such persons. An additional thing to keep in mind is that it may not be immediately obvious that you are dealing with this type.

The best way to deal with such individuals is to be assertive. Be clear about what you want, and never waver on anything.

You should always be willing to walk away from any project or deal if the other party is unwilling to treat you with respect. No matter what you do when dealing with this type of individual, you should never let your temper get the best of you.

When you get angry, your options may fail. Often in life people will give you a hard time about every little thing, they make you angry but you must never allow them to see your anger or argue with them. 

While you always have the option of walking away, these people may be valuable due to their money or business connections, so winning them over is more valuable over the long term.

There are also people in this world who confuse kindness and patience of weakness. They assume that because you are soft spoken, or you do not mind waiting, they can walk all over you. Again, you must show these people, without becoming visibly upset with them, that you will not allow this type of treatment.

It is better to show them as opposed to telling them; remember, your actions always speak louder than your words. If you do business with a lot of people, it will also be necessary for you to sign contracts and agreements. We live in a very litigious society and it is recommended to always do business with a contract.

It does not matter whether it is friends or family, or if you like the person you are dealing with. Always sign a contract which is clear and concise, so if something goes wrong, you can hold it up in a court of law, showing the judge that the other party agreed to the terms of the document.

Without a contract, it is always your word versus theirs, and no judge really wants to hear this. They want to see evidence, and having the right evidence is what will allow you to win cases. To be successful in this world, you must gain the respect of others.

The problem is, becoming angry and allowing your temper to get the best of you can always destroy bridges built with trust and respect between people and lead to other problems.

The essence of dealing with others is to control your emotions.  On your path to money and success, you will run into difficult people. You can always avoid them, but doing so may kill valuable business relationships which can allow you to make it to the next level.

Therefore, when you become upset with someone who you feel does not respect you, take the time to figure out how to handle the situation in a logical manner.