I just had a wasp fly in my face for what seemed like several minutes (probably 15 sec max)

I sat still and said, "Really?, Go away!" I was very impressed with my lack of panic.

The metaphor didn't escape me though.

In social media, when you see things written that make your blood boil, you've learned to let it go. There's no point in engaging.

..or perhaps in a very real and tramatic situation? You are the one who keeps your head together.

How do you do it? From real emergency to jabber that just pisses you off..

How do keep your cool?

Just had a pm..."I drink!" Lmfao!

Don't recommend it Chica, but funny answer!

I do everything I can in my power to make the situation better . And if after that, if I sense there will be no change going forward, I walk away.

As long as not going from cool to cold.

Never thought about that angle.

Sometimes, I don't.

Cool and cold are in the mind of the beholder sometimes Beach

If I take the time to calmly explain to someone why I need to walk away, and then I continue to talk to them with respect and kindness , when I encounter them, then in my mind , that is keeping cool.

But another person who is judging me on the mere act of walking away, might view me as cold.

I believe that my heart is warm.Others can disagree.
Thats okay :)

In a medical setting, it took training to not lose composure. You do What's necessary because you know somebody depends on you.
In other situations i don't always manage to keep cool

Depends what it is, some things make my blood boil and I can need a bit of time to calm down. Other things I don't allow to get to me anymore. Sort of like 'to each their own'.
In emergency situations I'm levelheaded, I'm quite good at that, overseeing the whole lot, what needs to be done, delegated things so it all gets done and sorted. It's like a switch is flicked in my brain and I'm immediately in gear.

It's difficult. Most of the time, what allows me to hold back, is due to wear. I've been around enough irritating and infuriating people, and tried enough different ways to deal with them, that I am convinced that "letting fly" doesn't work. At least not for me.

For me its physical, intellectual or emotional.

I once got into a fight with a yellow jacket while I was tripping on acid.
He came at me and got in my face looking pist off, I swung and missed, he came at me again and I blocked. This went on for a few minutes but he finally gave up. Neither of us took any damage.
The whole time I was calm and decisive.

Many years later, during a winter storm in upstate New York I was late for work. I was driving way to fast for conditions. I crested a hill on a 2 lane highway and there was an accident in my lane. I automatically veered and went into a slide. I managed to miss the cars blocking my path, spin a 360 around them and recover in my own lane before hitting the next oncoming car. It was weird how I never lost my composure till I finally arrived at work. Even then all I had was a mild case of the shakes.

Years after that, our friend was visiting for a bit and the ladies were talking in the living room with the kids playing in front of them. The kids were playing in the room in front of them and I was in the kitchen packing my lunch for work that night. Suddenly I heard a commotion and the women were screaming and crying (hysterical) so I went to see. The baby (18 months) was on the floor choking and his mom was screaming at him. I went over, picked him up and turned him over and gently pressed my fingers to his mid-section a few times and out popped a penny. I looked him over and he was fine. Went directly back to making my lunch. The only reaction I had was loving all the hugs and kisses I got from the ladies.

Right now my phone has been warning me of tornadoes in the area. It says severe alert, take shelter now! but I'm like okay, so? Its dark outside but I am not feeling any wind. I sat thru a class 3 hurricane before. A little blow job isn't gunna hurt me.

Even when I get angry I don't lose control. I'm always calm and rational. Perhaps it is because I don't fear death at all? I don't put a whole lot of effort into things I can't control.

Online, dealing with others I have a stance where I understand that we are all different, have different ways of expressing ourselves and sometimes intent is not clear. Sometimes I fail to express myself and its not others fault that they can't understand me. If it starts to get out of control I just stop adding fuel to the fire. Its okay if others 'win' because in reality, it just isn't that important.

I don't keep my cool. I don't have any cool to begin with.

For those that say, "letting fly" doesn't work. Obviously didn't do it correctly, because if they had, they would've felt a little bit of relief afterwards.

gotten better at keeping my mouth shut than I used to be
oh I can instantly get hot under the collar
no doubt about it
where I used to lash out immediately...instant attack mode
I now try to walk myself thru it..

this involves trying to see things from their persepctive
are they just having a bad day already and I was just one more pain in azz person they had to deal with?
are they overwhelmed, frustrated, over tired right now?

and when I have exhausted my list on why this person just bit my head off

then I normally can say " obviously this person is choosing to behave in this manner, I doubt I am the only one getting this kind of backlash . This is their issue and not mine."

I just do. theres no how to. nothing rattles me

IDK Beach, I thought was going to about going to the lake or making cold sweet tea lol

Anyway, I avoid those kinds of situations and people as much as possible. There is not much that makes my "blood boil." When I feel like I should be getting angry I ask myself if it is worth it...the people or situation involved.... is it/ are they important enough to bother?

Very few really get my hummer/ sarcasm. So I can say something that means different things to different people.

You could be offend and the ones next to you could be suppressing laughter .

I walk away..

Umm.. I squeeze my Kleenex box really hard.. then go masturbate always seems to make me cool off...lol..jk..

The jabber doesn't bother me. I don't pay attention.

In real life emergency situations I just focus on what needs to be done and do it to the best of my ability. Saying "oh no" or "oh my god" doesn't help the process...

I can relate to Peggy

It's like walking straight and suddenly something fell on your shoulder and to the ground. You glance , check what it is, take off that little dirt on your shoulder or blow a speck of dirt and just walk on, walk with your head held high. No point in wasting time, it's useless to talk to people who doesn't know how to listen, narrow minded and rude, don't go down to their level.

Thanks dolphin :)