Fight Back Against Unfair Debt Collection Practices: Know Your Rights and Protect Yourself from Threats, Lies, and Intimidation

3. Anger Can Be Power

On my commute to begin my second week as a collector, a pickup truck cuts me off. My ears burn and my shoulders tense. With difficulty, I stifle the urge to blast my horn at the offender. As my blood cools, an idea forms: Anger is a resource that the tough collectors—guys like Joe—channel into their work. Their mood seems set on a hair-trigger release for indignation. Maybe I can prime myself the same way, to be prepared to argue with debtors, instead of being caught flat-footed and letting them get the upper hand. I have those same aggressive impulses that are inappropriate for everyday life, unless you enjoy bar fights and road-rage encounters.

Then I do a double take. What am I thinking? Having learned to rein in my ...