You're right to be wary of pigeonholing people: thinking that Alice "isa volatile" and Bob "isa stable", and viewing all interactions with them through that len

You're right to be wary of pigeonholing people: thinking that Alice "isa volatile" and Bob "isa stable", and viewing all interactions with them through that lens, will be more harmful than helpful. But there's value in recognizing and categorizing instances of behavior in these terms. It's hard to effect change over something you don't understand, and giving it a name is a useful step to understanding.