The Hardest Empathy

The advanced move is empathy for people who annoy or hurt you. When your child spits out "I hate my teacher," the urge is to correct them. Resist it.

This is not about being a doormat. Understanding why someone acts badly is not the same as letting them. It is information. If you know the playground bully is scared, or the snappy coworker is drowning in deadlines, you can respond in a way that actually works instead of just reacting.