Don’t assume that a vicious person just had a difficult childhood or a terrible day; most people with awful childhoods end up being empathetic, and most people, even on their worst days, don’t seek satisfaction by inflicting pain.

Martha Beck, PhD, is an American author, life coach, sociologist, and inspirational speaker. After leaving the Mormon church, both she and her husband subsequently came out as gay. Beck has been a contributing editor and writer for several popular magazines including Redbook, Real Simple, and O, the Oprah Magazine, and is president of her own company, Martha Beck, Inc., which offers life coach training as well as products and live events related to life coaching.