The natural response is to get defensive, but that only escalates the cycle of aggression. Take a classic study in which researchers recorded negotiators with different levels of skill. Average bargainers ended up in three times as many defend-attack spirals as expert negotiators. The experts escaped the heat of the moment and cooled the other person down, too. They calmly commented on their reactions to the other person’s behavior and tested their understanding of what the person was trying to convey.
See the full discussion here: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/05/smarter-living/how-to-deal-with-a-jerk-without-being-a-jerk.html?mc=adintl&ad-keywords=IntlAudDev&subid1=TAFI&fbclid=IwAR3h90HH5-i9q3o7M5uzAklFFJ2nSut37QFTXlHcWfhqq-Yx2fFhcELyJo0&dclid=CKDXzaX-r-ICFZocKgodjhkL1Q