Many people sail on a pretty even keel when it comes to their emotions. They can become sad without collapsing in sobs or angry without giving way to rage and hysteria. Pardon the mixed metaphors of seamanship and masonry, but put a bricklayer’s level on these folks and you’d find them plumb, with that bubble dancing in the glass right where it should be.
A couple of people I know do have triggers that can roil up strong emotions. Mention politics to one friend, and odds are you’ve just lighted a wildfire on a dry prairie. Everyday stress—work-related problems, misunderstandings with a child or a friend, computer glitches—can pitch another acquaintance into a mosh pit of self-pity and wild despondency.
