I hate to make a comment like this, but it should be noted that this was a side project of his. I would speculate that he would have a different reaction if it were his bread and butter. Note: original forum post at http://xsellize.com/topic/137904-the-f-ing-word-of-the-day/
If this is your bread and butter, you might want to take note of the fact that his was an effective tactic. Freaking out probably wouldn't have helped.
I absolutely agree. It's just that I think he meant that normally, when someone feels threatened about something that might really hurt him, it will be quite hard for him to react smartly and calmly and much more likely that he would freak out.