Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Carlton
If the DB makes you angry.............you cannot prevent that from happening. An emotion, by definition, is not controllable. You can try to stifle the emotion and you may think that you're successful, but, in reality, you're simply suppressing it.
If the behavior frustrates a person...........as it does to me...........there is nothing I can do to prevent the frustration. I simply can refuse to act on it.
Is the DB worth a second thought............definitely not...........but, I'll be secretly hoping that he runs smack into a guardrail anyway.
I call that an attempt to control your emotions............but you will not have success in that endeavor, despite your claims.
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Wow. Must really suck sometimes being you.
If that’s some clinical definition and how you want to look at it. Fine. I understand it.
It’s not the emotions, it’s our desire or lack of desire to act upon them.
So, apparently by whatever definition that is. I do not have “control” over my emotions.
I either do not have any emotions (I don't get mad over it), or I do not have any desire to act upon them. Not when it comes to a complete strangers petty peeves while operating a motor vehicle anyway.
Or perhaps I just have the unbelievably powerful ability of “simply suppressing” them.
Either way. I’m happy to report that I have a lot more (think un-wasted) energy to move on in my life with than you or the DB does.
Regardless of the definition, here’s how I see it:
You are in control of yourself and your vehicle. At least, I would hope so.
If you are driving along at a safe speed that you are comfortable with and someone whom you don’t even know (and probably will never know) does something so petty as to come up close behind you flashing their lights and flipping you off because you aren’t going fast enough for them. And thus, you allow this action(s) to make you angry and remove you from your desired state of comfort. Then you have allowed this person to take control of you and your “emotions” (pick a better/right word if that's not it).
Period.
If you can not simply look into the mirror and tell yourself (with a sarcastic grin on your face) “What a bozo. I guess his life runs in a bigger hurry than mine. I guess I’ll move over and let him by as soon as safely possible.” And instead, you start figuring out how to seek revenge for his petty actions. Then you have an emotional control problem. If you allow this lack of emotional control to propagate into retaliatory actions, then you have even greater (lack of) personal control issues. This is not a good thing. When you have allowed your emotions to take over what otherwise would be mature common sense thinking and actions while driving a car, it’s called Road Rage. And, there is a damn good reason for it being a criminal offense and not just a traffic offense.
And let’s keep in mind one fact for sure:
That when some douche-bags actions cause you to lower yourself to their level with any retaliatory action, that pretty much makes you a douche-bag as well.