I tend to think I’m a rather even-keeled guy. I rarely raise my voice, and generally don’t let my emotions get too high or too low. Measuring the “worst” in someone is often a good benchmark of what to expect from them. It’s also why I very much dislike the phrase “if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you don’t deserve me at my best“, as I imagine the “worst” in folks like that is pretty rough.
In the book “The Black Swan“, author Nassim Nicholas Taleb puts it like this:
“If you want to get an idea of a friend’s temperament, ethics, and personal elegance, you need to look at him under the tests of severe circumstances, not under the regular rosy glow of daily life.”
Work to keep yourself in check under bad circumstances, and you’ll be a better person to be around for everyone that knows you.
