In this scenario, turning down your coworker doesn’t make you a bad person. In fact, doing so is appropriate as it allows you to fulfill an earlier commitment. Will people occasionally be disappointed, or even angered, by your refusal to help them? Of course. But remember, you can’t control others’ reactions. All you can be reasonably expected to do is say no with poise and sincerity. Remember, it’s not your job to appease the requestor. Moreover, refusing to put his or her priorities ahead of your own doesn’t make you a disagreeable person. It makes you conscious of competing interests and
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