Don't get mad when somebody cuts in line - get curious

The other day, a friend of mine, a teacher at a university in Beijing, described an encounter he had with a young Chinese man at a fast-food restaurant. His story captures a basic diplomatic problem - understanding others' motives.

He was standing in line with the menu card in hand, preparing to place his order, when suddenly, out of nowhere, this other fellow grabbed the card and stepped to the counter ahead of him. My friend was annoyed. But realizing that all-out war could take years and cost millions of lives, he chose a more modest military response: He snatched the menu back and shouldered the young man out of the way.

So there, dude!