First of all, you got that right, it is called an emotion for a reason. 'a strong feeling deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.' this definition is according to google. The issue with our emotion is that we sometimes allow it to overcloud our judgement. The perfect solution is to always assume the person making you feel that way is not in the right frame of mind. Most times people tend to project their feelings on others especially when they are being miserable, I have learnt in a short while that when people are unhappy, they will look for a scapegoat to vent their frustration on. Never give them the opportunity to win, you need to learn and pray for the power to ignore and not react. Sometimes the reaction is false and can lead to more mistake. The reactor end up being the offender.
RE: What is the difference between responding and reacting?