You may find yourself responding explosively to what you regard as affronts directed toward you today, and you may be quick to judge those whom you deem unaware or thoughtless. Yet your offense is likely a product of your mind-set rather than of the behavior of others. Since you may be more emotionally sensitive than usual today, the opinions expressed by loved ones and the actions perpetrated by peers can seem like personal attacks. You can curb this susceptibility, however, by thinking instead of reacting when confronted. You will likely often find that what seemed to be intended to cause offense was in no way meant to convey hostility.

Recognizing that simple misunderstandings are a common source of interpersonal conflict allows us to modulate our reactions to what the people we spend time with each day say and do. Though we may initially feel offended when confronted with thoughtlessness or contempt, we can avoid jumping to conclusions by taking a few moments to consider both why we are upset and whether the individual before us truly meant to cause offense. Oftentimes, we will discover that others intended no harm and were merely careless in the manner in which they framed their speech or actions. Our thoughtfulness thus enables us to combat oversensitivity in ourselves, making interpersonal encounters much less stressful. The emotional reactivity affecting you today will fade away quickly when you consider the foundation of your offense and your own reasons for responding sensitively to others.