Interpersonal Communication and Conflict

For pretty much my entire life I have tried to avoid confrontation with others. Not out of fear, I just have always tried to put the needs of others before my own and because of this I tend not to argue if something is asked of me or if a person tries to start a confrontation with me, I’ll allow them to get their anger out of their system and then I’ll try and discuss the problem with them once they have calm down.
As I have gotten older and been given more responsibilities, I’ve realized that I can’t realistically accommodate the needs of all people, so I have tried to incorporate the defusing technique when I find myself in some kind of conflict with someone else. I have noticed that when most people are angry they will be completely unreasonable in their arguments and accusations, so it is best to get them to calm themselves down a little bit in order to have a conversation that will lead to a resolution of conflict rather than cause more problems. I also try and use elements of the empathy technique because even though I am more willing to take on a conflict if necessary, I would prefer to come up with a method that will suitably satisfy both sides of the conflict.
I think that my use of the defusing technique is one of the healthier options that a person can use in conflict because it will allow for an easier conversation where both parties are speaking to each other in a calm and civilized manner. However, I do think that the empathy method can sometimes be an unhealthy one for people, myself included. If you show too much empathy, you can easily be walked all over by the opposing party or your empathy could get the better of you which will leave you overwhelmed by someone else’s problem.
Speaking personally, I have three younger siblings so I have found myself in the middle of more conflicts than I could possibly begin to discuss here. Often, these are serial conflicts that have come up between us over and over again about chores around the house or even about who is going to use our car and when. My brother is a lot more stubborn than I am so I usually let him have what he wants, not because he’s right but because I have other things to do with my day then argue with him.