learning how not to push buttons

A Bodhisattva does not take "himself" seriously - because he realised he has no self. You can push his buttons all the way- and he stays cool. He takes it in good nature - because he realised his empty nature. In fact, he has no real buttons at all, and he helps others understand they have none too. An unenlightened being takes himself too seriously - as if he has a real self to protect from the rest of the world. You need only gently nudge a button or two - and he loses his cool. He takes it personally - because he had yet to realise non-self.
We are somewhere in between. We are beings trying to realise the ultimate reality, of our ultimate unreality - of us and our buttons. This is cultivating Wisdom. We are trying to be button-free, practising to react less and less easily, by the button-pushing "other" beings. This is cultivating Patience (Forbearance).
And in practising, we push less buttons of others, especially as part of our practice of refraining from reacting from button-pushers pushing our buttons. This is cultivating Morality (Precepts). When we know what buttons pushed bring happiness to other beings, even if it is only a relative happiness (not absolute), we practise pushing them, to bring them happiness, to urge them towards True Happiness. This is cultivating Generosity.
And even if others do not respond to our kindness kindly, time and again, we carry on our practice relentlessly, no matter how hard others' right buttons are to push. This is cultivating Energy (Effort). But at the end of the day, there has to be some inner practice, looking within to realise the selflessness, buttonlessness of all. This is practising Meditation.