In part I, I detailed the minor street altercation that I’d witnessed between a cyclist and a driver who seemingly almost “doored” him. An unfortunate situation, to be sure, and an avoidable one (check your mirrors before exiting your vehicle).
Once the two men were embroiled in the conflict, though, there seemed to be no way for them to get out. Whether it was for fear of appearing weak (either to other man, the unknown societal “other,” or, in the driver’s case, the woman he was with) or because the human mind craves that feeling of being right, and/or because they were both amped up on testosterone and fight-or-flight chemicals (locked into “fight” mode), I can’t say.
What I can say is that the easiest way out of the fight would have been to stop fighting, which is probably why it is, ironically, also the hardest thing to do. The human mind just wants to be right, even if that doesn’t always entail doing right. Winning an argument just makes us all feel so good that we’re willing to do whatever it takes to feel that way, even if it’s dumb or dangerous, as it often is.
Realizing when our minds are being hacked by our body chemistry, by unhelpful ways of thinking, and by societal constructs (to name just a few things that can keep us from being who and what we want to be) is a powerful first step towards changing those behaviors for the better.
The next, more difficult step, is to actually do something about the behavior in question.
Photo credit: aiba.boxing Rio 2016 Olympic Games – Day 5 via photopin (license)
The Worthwhile Struggle 