Inflexibility

What triggers inflexibility? Most days, people are generally open to information. We listen to the news, radio, coworkers, family, and even read the paper. People absorb and select information through various filters. In my work in HR, there comes a point where people stop letting information flow and filter. They freeze, stiffen and everything stops at the closed door to their logic. I have become angry, offended, or sleepy and decided that whatever is proposed just won't work. Generally, this is short lived, but there have been times where I have indulged it, verbalized it and regretted it. Regret generally involving having to apologize for something. This is driven by good old fashioned pride. Call it Ego, dig up your best Freudian analogies, whatever. Once inflexibility is triggered, good luck getting through. Feedback is futile. No matter how well intentioned, nothing by the owner of the inflexibility can fix it. If you are the bad guy to that person, you will stay the bad guy in spite of your efforts to help this person succeed. If they were already in trouble, your efforts to save them would be met with hatred. The feedback is an attack and the messenger will not fare well. Many a person has scuttled a career, damaged a reputation, and harmed their own psyche with inflexibility. I welcome any tips on overcoming inflexibility. It would be nice to avoid causing it, but since it is a personal choice, God help us all!