The first step toward dealing effectively with the emotions of others is to recognize when they are being emotional. It is not always obvious. Brits and Swedes, for example, are culturally less emotive than Brazilians and Italians, but that doesn’t mean any individual in those cultures is less or more emotional. Some people are calm outside and seething inside, and vice versa. The key is whether the other person is acting against his or her own interests, needs, and goals. You have probably watched people do exactly the opposite of what benefits them. You ask yourself, “What’s wrong with them?
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