In sum, what Lisa gave Aubree was a series of emotional payments. They directly addressed Aubree’s fears and showed her that her mother understood. In other situations, the emotional payment could be an apology, words of empathy, or a concession. It could just be hearing out someone who is upset. Emotional payments have the effect of calming people down. They get people to listen and be ready to think more about their own welfare. They start from irrationality and move people, little by little, toward a better result, if not a rational one.
