Dale Carnegie, the bestselling author of How to Win Friends and Influence People, once appeared on a radio program where he openly discussed the strengths and weaknesses of past U.S. presidents’ policies. A few days later, he received a letter from a listener fiercely criticizing his opinions.
Feeling humiliated and believing his reputation had been tarnished, Carnegie immediately wrote a reply in the same harsh and scornful tone as the letter he had received. However, the next day, when he reread his draft at work, he realized it made him appear petty and arrogant. So he decided to write a new letter instead.
This time, he expressed gratitude, saying he would remember the listener as a valued friend who had offered helpful advice. A single day had completely transformed his emotions.
From then on, Carnegie emphasized in his lectures on human relations that the secret to becoming a generous and understanding person is to take time to think before reacting.