Sometimes the crustiest person on the outside is really a person hiding much pain. Be pleasant. Be gentle. You have no idea the impact of a smile or a kind word. Show compassion.
For it is written:
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”