Deflecting negative behaviors

One of my favorite stories that illustrate how to remain unaffected by other people's negativity comes from the teachings of the Buddha:

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Buddha was walking through a village when an angry young man began insulting him. "You have no right teaching others," he said. "You are as stupid as everyone else. You are nothing but a fake." Buddha was not upset by these insults, instead he asked the young man, "Tell me, if you buy a gift for someone, and that person does not take it, to whom does the gift belong?" The man was surprised to be asked such a question and answered, "It would belong to me, because I bought the gift." The Buddha smiled and said, "That is correct. And it is exactly the same with your anger. If you become angry with me and I do not get insulted, then the anger falls back on you. You are then the only one who becomes unhappy, not me. All you have done is hurt yourself."

What this tells us is that ultimately, how we think, feel, and...