Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Check out this road rage incident that could have gotten very bad for the poster. Reminds us to be polite on the roads, never know when you will run into a crazy person.
http://www.defensivecarry.com/forum/carr...er-weekend.html
Interesting read. I've often wondered, we really have no rites of passage in our society today. Generations ago, to prove manhood, the boy went out and killed the lion, wolf, bear, etc. If you survived, you were counted as a man in the village/tribal gathering, if you didn't survive, you weren't a burden to the community.
I think to a certain degree, we still have this within us. It's the desire to "prove" ourselves, (granted, in a very silly and selfish way). Yet even so, driving a vehicle has become for our society a rite of passage. Along with that rite of passage comes the desire to "guard" our turf and declare to those around us that our hunter/gatherer blood still runs strong.
Yes, years ago, I "owned" the road. Woe to the individual who incurred my wrath behind the wheel. Then, one day, it occurred to me that my vehicle had become an extension of my own personal power. It was like "motor muscle." I started asking myself why I was doing the things I was doing. Why did I drive in such an aggressive, angry manner.
Some personal reflection time and some honest self examination revealed that basically, I was insecure in myself. Why was I insecure? Because I had low self esteem. Long story short, I worked on building my own self esteem. When I became self actualized and self aware, I became, not only a better, happier person, but a much better driver.
In all humility and with no judgment whatsoever, I share this only in an effort to encourage others to examine the reasons for what they do on the road, how they drive and how they think of other drivers, (for example, why call others "morons"?). I would say that heading out onto the open highway with the mindset of meeting "morons" already sets the stage for aggressive encounters as you've already placed them on a level lower than yourself.
I dare say that the world would be a much better place if we all took the time to realize we're all trying to get home to friends and family and people who love us, and some make mistakes along the way. They need our help, not our hatred.
