Being At Ease With Others

At some level, we are all potentially afraid of other people and they can be afraid of us. Fear of others is merely the dark side of our extraordinary sociality; our joy in connecting with those around us and our dependency on others to survive, let alone thrive. It also reflects our evolutionary past in which strangers were probably initially to be regarded as enemies until they proved themselves to be friends. Another aspect of this nervousness is our need for predictability and consistency in others. Given this universal tendency we should have compassion for self and others. We should take care to actively set people at ease. It’s also best to operate from a default of trust, until proven otherwise, as generally trust begets trust. So, the best strategy in dealing with others is to appeal to the better angels of their nature.