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Taking a step back and using the silent treatment when dealing with offensive people can do wonders for one's brain. The silent treatment proves to be one of the best methods for maintaining mental health according to a new study done by researchers at Baruch College in New York City. The study, "When Silence is Golden: Ostracism as Resource Conservation during Aversive Interactions," presented a strong case for ending conversations with obnoxious and unreasonable people by using the silent treatment.

In this study, published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, the researchers gathered roughly 120 participants who were asked to either communicate with or completely ignore the assigned subject for four minutes. The subject was previously informed to act out one of two extremes, either friendly and likable or rude and offensive. Each participant was brought to another room to take a test measuring performance. The test required concentration and thought processing, and the researchers found that people who did not engage in the offensive conversations at all scored significantly better. In addition, people who chose to ignore the friendly person scored lower on the assessment.

Associate professor and the lead author of the study, Kristin Sommer and co-author Juran Yoon explained the possible reasons for the results to the Vancouver Sun.

"It's depleting to force yourself to have difficult conversations when all you want to do is ignore the person," Sommer stated. "Ostracism can serve the regulatory goal of allowing peopelt o conserve resources."

Despite the social stigma that ignoring is rude, this study begs to contradict and challenge that concept. Engaging in difficult conversations with obnoxious people is exhaustive and draining. It may actually be healthier for you to ignore an offensive and mean conversationalist, and save up your mental capabilities for something more useful.