Lately, I’ve become acutely aware of the vast web through which people’s emotions ripple and collide. Out of nowhere, folks lose their temper or grow irritable—likely because someone else has dumped negativity on them, and then, unwittingly, they pass that anger along. These emotional waves surge and crash all around me, leaving me feeling cornered and wanting to flee. (And I’m not the avoidant type, yet under this blaze of emotion I can truly feel that urge.)

This network makes me suspect there are “super-individuals” whose moods sway the emotions of countless others.

I’m deeply opposed to tackling problems in an overly emotional way.

Only when people work together in a state of inner joy can they create work that genuinely makes an impact.

If you crave DS-level breakthroughs yet insist on berating students or employees like an “emperor,” forever prodding and complaining, don’t expect any truly influential innovation to bloom in the toxic atmosphere you’ve built.

Update: I was eating at a restaurant in Beijing when a man showed up. Because the place was about to close, the staff asked diners to stay in a small section. Dissatisfied, he launched into personal attacks and abuse, threatening to leave, even though his wife, kids, and elderly relatives stood by, helplessly watching him rage like a child. Men like this believe the world should revolve around them; long accustomed to throwing their weight around, they assume everyone must serve them unconditionally.