The De-Escalation Technique Everyone Should Know

Maybe because I try (and therefore mess up) a lot of things — I’ve spent a lot of my life apologizing. One of my earliest memories is my dad angrily telling me, “Sorry isn’t good enough!” This always bothered me, because as children, we are taught that “I’m sorry,” is what you say when you accidentally hurt someone, break something, or otherwise screw up. For most people, even as adults, “I’m sorry” is all they’ve got.

A few days ago, I had an experience that put me on the other side of this equation. Because of an upcoming event, my wife and I…