I think the Chinese proverb could be influenced by Buddhism. In other languages meanings are different. In Italian you say "calma e sangue freddo": calm and cold blood. You use it when you face negative, dangerous or stressful situations. It's not negative. In English you say that someone is a cold-blooded muderer: that's negative! In English you can say that someone keeps a "stiff upper lip": it means that he keeps his cool in difficult or embarrassing situations, but it's not so positive, it suggests a certain coldness in someone's character. I'll keep thinking of other ways to say it...