There was a similar thread about this a while back: Bathtub People

In that thread, I wrote:

Originally Posted By: Denis
I've done some learning about this recently for work and my 3 big takeaways were:

1. People do not want to be useless or hindrances
2. Difficult behaviours often arise from fundamentally good motivations
3. Understanding the motivation behind the behaviour helps you move beyond the difficult behaviour

Also key is, I am (and you are) sometimes the difficult person. Understanding our own core motivation and what unwanted behaviours we tend to manifest are just as important.

This learning was largely based on the book Dealing with Difficult People.

That's a pretty good book on the topic and its a pretty quick read. I'd say its a worthwhile resource for those wanting to learn more.
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Victory awaits him who has everything in order — luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck. Roald Amundsen