When you run into someone who is disagreeable to others, you may be sure he is uncomfortable with himself; the amount of pain we inflict upon others is directly proportional to the amount we feel within us.

Here's a theory about prickly people: their sharpness with others mirrors how uneasy they are inside. According to this view, the hurt someone hands out matches the hurt they carry, so rudeness becomes a clue to private discomfort rather than a fact about you.

Context reviewed 20 September 2026