Perhaps one of the best tools to employ when dealing with difficult people is Compassion. Compassion's definition is to feel deep empathy for someone else's misfortune. It does not take too much to understand that if someone is difficult or negative, most likely this behavior originated from a traumatic or abusive period in the past. Dogs, for example, that are aggressive and/or dangerous are generally the direct result of negative stimuli or the lack of positive one. Although humans are equipped with a much more complex personality package, the basics apply just the same.
Life and interaction with other humans can become much easier when it is considered that people are creating negativity, due to negativity having been part of their past experience. It is in moments of direct exposure to this negativity that a feeling of empathy should be felt towards whatever misfortune has made a person behave in such a manner.
Compassion should not a be a passive attitude. Feeling compassion for the person that drives aggressively, or the teenager that is rebellious, or the rude waitress, creates understanding and avoids the harboring of negative feelings within. Practicing compassion in this manner expands and develops wisdom. A more difficult scenario that fits in the same category is feeling compassion for suicide bombers. This is an extreme example, but one to ponder on and it does not change the fact that terrorism is terrible and that no one has the right to do these atrocious things.
Compassion is often confused with altruism, which is to put other's needs before one's. Religion considers compassion a virtue. Christianity in particular, promotes the "turn the other cheek" attitude, but compassion used as a tool for wisdom has nothing to do with becoming a victim or accepting abusive treatment, it is just a practice that allows for the understanding of other humans. It is an active behavior towards maintaining one's perspective of the outer world positive and clear. It should be expressed that what ever negative behavior/action one is exposed to still should be dealt with and resolved if needed, but with compassion.
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