The concept of [emotional bubbles]

Living in Our Own Bubbles

Each of us moves through the world enveloped in an "emotional bubble," which is our predominant mood and perspective at any given moment.

We can be in a bubble of joy, anger, sadness, or focus.

This bubble acts as a filter through which we experience and interact with the world.

Understanding this concept is key to effective social skills, as it helps us become more aware of our own state and more respectful of that of others.

The Danger of "Piercing" Someone Else's Bubble

When we encounter someone who is in a different emotional bubble than we are, especially if it's a negative one like sadness or anger, our first impulse may be to try to "pierce" their bubble.

We tell the sad person to "cheer up," or the angry person to "peck" us. "calm down."

However, this strategy almost never works and, in fact, usually backfires.

When we try to force an emotional change on someone, that person often feels invalidated and becomes even more entrenched in their emotion.

The bubble, rather than bursting, grows stronger.

The Art of the Invitation

A much smarter and more empathetic approach is, rather than trying to puncture the other person's bubble, to create an invitation for them to step out of it on their own.

This is done by first validating their emotion ("I can see you're really angry about this, and I understand") and then gently offering a different perspective or space.

It's as if we open the door to our own bubble (perhaps one of calmness or understanding) and say, "If you'd like,