[2] Inspirational Stories (Stories to Live By)

The Best Way to Handle Negative People

The Best Way to Handle Negative People

“Master, you must help me,” said the visitor. “I am at my wit’s end.”

“What seems to be the problem?” the sage asked.

“I am having a hard time controlling my anger,” the visitor said. “It’s just the way people are. I see them criticizing others while being totally unaware of their faults. I do not wish to criticize them because I don’t want to be like them, but it upsets me.”

“I see,” said the sage. “Tell me something first: Aren’t you the villager who narrowly escaped death last year?”

“Yes,” the visitor nodded. “It was a terrible experience. I ventured too far into the forest and ran into a pack of hungry wolves.”

“What did you do?”

“I climbed a tree just in time before they converged on me. These wolves were big, and I had no doubt they could tear me to pieces.”

“So you were trapped?”

“Yes. I knew I wouldn’t last long without water and food, so I waited for them to relax their guard. When I thought it was safe enough, I would jump down, make a mad dash for the next tree, and then climb before they converged again.”

“That sounds like quite an ordeal.”

“Yes—altogether it lasted two days. I thought I would surely die. Luckily a group of hunters approached when I got close enough to the village. Then the wolves scattered and I was saved.”

“I’m curious about one thing,” said the sage. “During the experience, were you ever offended by the wolves?”

“What? Offended?”

“Yes. Did you feel offended, or insulted by the wolves?”

“Of course not, Master. That thought never even occurred to me.”

“Why not? They wanted nothing more than to bite into you, did they not? They wanted to kill you, did they not?”

“Yes, but that is what wolves do! They were just being themselves. It would be absurd for me to take offense.”

Reflections...💫💫
Criticizing others while being unaware of their own faults is something that many people do. We can even say that it is something we all do from time to time. In a sense, the ravenous wolves live in every one of us. If we are deep in the woods and encounter wolves who close in on us, we should not just stand there. We should certainly protect ourselves by getting away if at all possible.

Similarly, when people lash out at us with venomous criticism, we should not accept it passively. We should certainly protect ourselves by putting some distance between them and us if at all possible; protect ourselves in other ways if not.

The crucial point is that we can do so without feeling offended or insulted because these people are simply being themselves. It is their nature to be critical and judgmental, so it would be absurd for us to take offense. It would be pointless to get angry.

Next time these hungry wolves in human skin converge, remember: it’s just the way people are—exactly as the visitor realized when he reflected on his experience.

✍️Unknown Writer