Good article. I read it and definitely found myself trying to both figure out what kind of jerk I am, and what kind of jerk I'd like to be.

What's interesting is that I'm not sure people are the same jerk to all surprises. I definitely think I react differently to certain surprises than others, dependent on a variety of factors (current stress level, and the nature of the surprise).

For example - being told three days before we're due to ship that we need a new feature has a much higher tendency to elicit a Dr. No reaction than news of corporate re-orgs.

The primary thing I've learned is that whatever the reaction - take note of it, then take a few deep breaths, and only *then* ask yourself if that reaction was correct for the situation.