Seriously? Next time you fly, please buy all the seats in your row for yourself.

Overall, I really liked Joseph’s article. For me the three classes of responses were ‘sliced and diced’ a little differently than what has become a simple rubric for me. I tend to think of a continuum of responses that go from ignore, to acknowledge, to accept, to apologize. Ignoring doesn’t typically work well accept for when it’s warranted due to personal safety or such a brief encounter that it doesn’t make sense. When I Acknowledge where someone else is at or what I might have done to trigger their reaction (bearing in mind their reactions are truly theirs to manage) that seems to work best in most situations. The greater the need or the more valuable the relationship, then I am discerning what amount of personal Acceptance or Apology is needed. I tend to find myself evaluating the latter two only as an internal exercise in my self-assessment, and am only likely to actually use that language with someone close to me or only rarely in the situations that are called for it outside of close relationships.

Thanks for your comment and perspective. You added that extra cherry on top for me by pointing out that the correct state of mind to navigate public spaces requires prep.