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Dr. Becky: Bad behavior at any age stems from feelings overpowering skills

Dr. Becky Kennedy · A child psychologist’s guide to working with difficult adults | Dr. Becky Kennedy · Feb 1, 2026 · at 29:01

Clinical psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy explains the developmental root causes of disruptive behavior in both children and adults to Lenny Rachitsky.

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“Kids are born with all the feelings and none of the skills to manage feelings. Bad behavior at any age can basically be reduced to feelings that overpower skills.”

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