You know, there comes a point in your life where you have to learn to stop over-reacting to things, even big things. You have to learn how to take a step back, take a deep breath, and go ok, let's look at this rationally. Something that starts as a little thing, one person's misguided desire to do something potentially dangerous for example, can escalate rather quickly into something that is so messy, so icky, that no one wants to have anything to do with the people involved.
Say for instance, a toddler climbs onto the countertop. We all know toddlers have no sense of danger, no sense of self-preservation. They want to get up high so they can see what all is going on. Then someone tries to take them from that hard won place. What does the toddler do? Protest, in the best way they can, by screaming and carrying on. They haven't been hurt, but they will act like you broke their toy, stole their lollipop and kicked their dog if you try to keep them safe. Cause let's face it, a counter top is NOT the safest place in the world for a toddler to be.
Then in walks the parent, alerted by the cries that something is wrong, and takes the situation in, and if they don't stop to consider what has happened, it can quickly go downhill. The parent over-reacts because their child is screaming. The ones trying to save the child from harm over-react to the parent over-reacting, and so that goes sour. Then others get drawn in.
I do find it interesting that the only one not holding a grudge later that day, is the toddler who was so offended and started the whole messy string of over-reacting. It would also help if the people still holding a grudge a day later, enrolled in some anger management, because it's just not good for you to hold on to anger that long.
