One family I know (whose identity will not be mentioned to protect the guilty as well as myself) is well-known for their knock-down, drag-out, no-holds-barred battles. When they get into arguments, their opponents are called every name in the book and accused of the most heinous crimes against humanity, whether the names or accusations make any logical sense or not, and all at top volume. I’ve heard of the same behavior in a few other families as well, so I know it’s not an isolated phenomenon.

It’s an easy, and very damaging, habit to fall into, and for a long time I thought that silently accepting bad behavior from others until you explode in anger (the strategy my family used while I was growing up, and one that can be equally damaging) was the only alternative. Until I read this. If you ever have to deal with people (and who doesn’t?), the stuff there is very useful.