Road Rage in the Human Beast

I think we all have a little of that urge to blame someone else for our own problems - it's easier than having to face the reality of our own short-comings. Road rage is just a vehicle to unleash the most inner ugliness that we have built-up over extended periods of time.

I'm not an expert on road rage, but I have been around long enough to understand how it can become a problem. Experience is a good teacher. You know, been there, done that.

Road rage can be caused by a lot of different things - things that are not necessarily earth shaking but over time they have a tendency to pile up, which causes pressure on one's self control. Most people will just fume internally when confronted by an unexpected intrusion on their forward movement, in car or any other type of confrontation that makes them change or alter any part of their personal life.

Traveling down the road you get cut off, or walking down a sidewalk someone pushes past you, or waiting in a line at a busy store after work on Friday and someone goes to head of the line. it has happened to all of us. It's just that some of us can't seem to hold that pressure in all the time and that's when our problems begin.

I think that it takes two to tango - those that cause the problem and how those that take exception to it. I think it's an ego problem that manifests itself in the form of angry outbursts of fist shaking and fowl language. Of course, sometimes it comes in the form of violence towards the causee which is a different situation entirely. Have not been there and have not done that but I have seen it up close and it ain't pretty.

I believe taking one's self too seriously, on occasion, makes for problems that we never thought of or even dreamed of, could happen to us. If you are always late getting some place or you have a tendency to drive too fast, because your always late, or maybe you feel because you drive a better car and have a career that is on track to success, you should have better access to avenues that lead forward. hmmmmm

How does that go again, 'I'm on track to change the world so don't do anything that will make me change course'. Can you imagine getting caught on a second red light because someone cut in front of you to turn left just as it turn red? Whoa! 'I'm heading to an important meeting with important people. Idiot!'

How about a bunch of people holding signs blocking your way that proclaim the person that you voted for is a loser, and they actually lost. Not a good situation for you, or them, if you are behind the wheel of a car and your late.

Yeah, well, it's just as well that I don't have these problems, as I'm perfectly under control at all times, and I can and will tell you what you are doing wrong, most of the time. heh

Human nature, being what it is, will always find a way to bring other circumstances to bear on our problems - and we will find some way to let others know that they are the cause of our anguish, real or not, whether it's in the store or behind the wheel of our car.

Case in point, if my wife, of thirty seven years, has a problem that seems to be larger enough and one that causes a lot of stress, she will go back as many years as it takes into the dim past to prove that it was my fault - or maybe it just seems that way - heh

Take a deep breath and go forward at a pace that will allow you to get where you are going and still be able to smile say "hi" to the first person that you come to. It works - it really does.