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1930: Two Inuit children at Point Barrow, Alaska, holding the tusks of a large walrus, probably killed for food. (Photo by General Photographic Agency/Getty In the 1960s, Harvard graduate student Jean Briggs embarked on a profound journey to the Arctic tundra, living for 17 months beyond the Arctic Circle with an Inuit family. Facing brutal winters that plunged below –40°C and a world without roads or modern comforts, Briggs immersed herself in their way of life. What struck her most was the remarkable emotional control exhibited by the adults—rarely, if ever, did they lose their temper or express anger openly. One telling incident involved a boiling kettle spilling inside an igloo, damaging the ice floor. Instead of anger or blame, the calm response was simply, “Too bad,” followed by quietly fetching more water. Another time, a carefully woven fishing line broke on its first use, met only with a composed, “Let’s make another one.” Observing this, Briggs felt her own impulsiveness and curiosity grow: how did Inuit parents teach such emotional mastery? Her answer came during a gentle play session when a mother handed her angry toddler a small stone and encouraged him to hit her softly. When he did, she pretended to cry, turning the moment into a lesson of empathy and self-control. In Inuit culture, children are never scolded or spoken to harshly. Instead, patience, play, and understanding replace anger, teaching youngsters how to manage their emotions. Briggs’ experience suggests that perhaps many of us could learn from a culture that doesn’t fear anger—but deeply understands it.