De-escalation of conflicts: How to manage tense situations

Imagine you are in a meeting and someone suddenly attacks your work. What is the first thing that crosses your mind? I would like to know what drives him to do that.
I keep my emotions in check, but inside it's boiling.
I don't understand why it couldn't be said differently.
Such things no longer unsettle me.
I am considering whether it makes sense to defend myself.

Which image reminds you most of the tension between people? A rope that is slowly breaking.
The calm before the storm.
Smoke that spreads without fire.
Involuntary grin.
A mirror in which no one sees themselves.

Someone in the elevator snaps at you for no reason. What will you do? I will ask him what is happening.
I'll quickly get out and forget about it.
I will stay silent, but I am watching him.
I will respond to him in the same tone.
I feel that it is more about him than about me.

How do you most often perceive conflicts between other people? As a challenge for mediation.
As something I want to avoid.
Like chaos that disrupts my peace.
Like a game where someone always loses.
As a manifestation of unmet needs.

Which sentence is closest to you in a tense debate? "Help me understand your perspective."
"I hate it when it goes awry."
"Something here doesn't add up, but I don't know what yet."
"I won’t let this go easily."
"I will wait to see how it develops."

What metaphor best represents your role in conflicts? Shock absorber.
A shadow that quickly disappears.
The root that holds the soil together.
A sharp stone in the shoe.
Observer from the balcony.

When someone gets angry, what do you usually think about it? That something in it screams for attention.
That you should keep a cool head.
That one must learn to live with anger.
That one needs to know how to defend oneself.
That it is just temporary.

Imagine you are a mediator between two arguing people. How do you start? I ask them what hurt them the most.
I will establish the rules of communication.
I will focus on what they have in common.
First, I will hear them separately.
I'll wait until they calm down a bit.

What do you do when you feel tension rising within you? I am trying to name it.
I will suppress it and move on.
I'm wondering what triggered him.
I will leave if I can.
I need to take care of something physically – movement, a hit, a shout.

When you look back, what has taught you the most about managing conflicts? Relationships that I didn't want to lose.
Mistakes I didn't want to repeat.
Observation of others.
Hard-fought experiences.
The silence in which I heard myself.