2Henry and the Opposite Action

Henry was known for his quick temper. Everyone at school, even the teachers, knew that if things didn’t go his way, an explosion would follow. Pupils whispered in the corridors: “Here comes Hurricane Henry.”

One day his uncle, a psychologist, came to visit; he had heard about Henry’s outbursts. Instead of blaming him, he told him about a simple technique called “opposite action”: our feelings drive our actions, but changing the action can change the feeling. Henry wasn’t fully convinced, but he decided to try.

“Our feelings drive our actions, but changing the action changes the feeling.”

The chance came the following week. In a basketball game, a teammate accidentally stepped on his new trainers and left a muddy mark. The old Henry would have shouted and made a scene. But he remembered his uncle’s advice, took a deep breath and said calmly, “It’s fine, just be careful next time.” To his surprise, not only did his anger fade, but his teammate apologised and offered to clean the shoes.

Instead of withdrawing. When he felt like pulling away from his friends after a bad day, he went out with them, and the laughter and company lifted his mood.

Instead of envy. When he envied a classmate’s achievement, he congratulated him instead of brooding, and the classmate shared tips that helped him improve.

Over the months the whispers of “Hurricane Henry” disappeared, and people began saying, “Have you noticed how Henry’s changed? He seems so much happier!”

One day his teacher came up to him and said, “I admire how you’ve changed, Henry. Would you share your secret with the class?” So he stood before his classmates and told them about opposite action, and how it had changed his life.

By the end of the year, not only had Henry’s relationships improved, but the atmosphere of the whole school had changed, thanks to a simple technique and a boy who decided to change.