Probably the best advice I got from a Captain was when I was a FO new to the 767. At pushback time we were in DFW and you could see passengers who were waving at us and pointing. The agent would not go back up and get them. When the captain asked him to do so he got mad and said “while the airplane is at the gate it’s MY airplane.” Captain said ok. Agent pulled the jetway away. Captain opened his window and said to the agent in the jetway “Now it’s my airplane and it’s not moving until you get them on board.” He said it just as calm as he could be. No yelling or anything like the agent had done.

I asked him how he could keep his cool and not get angry. He said, and I quote, “Why get angry when you KNOW you’re going to win!” I have tried my darnedest to live by this..........but sometimes it’s very hard!

Denny