Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances.

Composure is a quiet form of power. In any tense exchange, the person who stays calm keeps access to their judgement, while the one who gets flustered starts making mistakes and revealing more than they intended. Calm is also contagious, and others begin to look to whoever seems steady. Nobody manages it every time, and some feelings deserve to be felt rather than smoothed over.

Before your next difficult conversation, choose one small physical anchor in advance, a slow breath or lowered shoulders. Return to it whenever you feel the heat rise, and notice how the exchange shifts.