Having gone through a process similar to what the author of the article did, the problem is that it's more complicated than "merely" being a bit more alpha-male

Having gone through a process similar to what the author of the article did, the problem is that it's more complicated than "merely" being a bit more alpha-male. The problem is getting past freezing up. It's hard because it was my brain's innate reaction all through my young adult years, so I had to put a lot of time and energy into rewiring it to not freeze up first. Once I could get past freezing up, I could practice ways to stay rational in emotionally charged situations, which in turn allowed me to learn how to defuse situations better. With more practice, I was able to manage the same situations with a strong sense of principle. That in turn let me say "no" in a way where people consistently respected my answer. But that was a 5 year journey filled with unpleasant moments.