Remember that the awful person you are worried about is a mere mortal too.

They have insecurities and fears and problems like all of us do.

They might have a private jet – but they may struggle with depression.

Maybe they are a CEO – but they secretly fear being fired.

Or maybe they are arrogant and demeaning – but internally struggle with the need for approval.

The point is that we are all in this together.

Most of us are just a bunch of insecure people trying to put food on the table, if you think about it.

The key to staying unintimidated is to convince yourself that the person you’re facing is a mere mortal, no different from you—which is in fact the truth. See the person, not the myth. Imagine him or her as a child, as someone riddled with insecurities. Cutting the other person down to size will help you to keep your mental balance.

-Robert Greene, The 33 Strategies Of War