catatonic violence
Here's a question for ya. Is it easier, on a personal level, to control a violent tendancy if that violence is directed outward than it is if the tendancy is directed inward? Ie, is it easier not to punch someone's head off because you've had a bad day, they're a dick in the movie theater, of the sumbitch just parked so fucking close to your car a newspaper couldn't open the door for you? Or is it easier not to hurt yourself because you didn't win the last tennis tournament, only got 3rd in the spelling bee over the word "triskadecaphobia", or can't seem to lost that last 1/2 inch needed to fit into the size 0 pants?
The trouble with the question is that it's a personal one, primarily based on which way you direct anger. I rarely think I'm at fault, so not hurting myself is easy. My alpha tendancies, though, mean my first reaction is usually to one up someone, so if your a loud mouth I consider sewing it shut. If your an ass in your truck, I think about jacking your rims. Ok, the latter is more passive aggressive and financially rewarding, but passive aggression is still aggression, so even then, is it easier not to to juvenile shit like that to someone else than not to say things like, "I can't find a different job because I suck at x." Let me tell you, if I didn't have such high standards as to the value of personal property, there'd me many a truck in my parking lot with newly minted bumper stickers reading, "Whud're dem yeller lines fer, ma?"
Logically, one would think it's easier not to lash out at others, for a law-abiding person. There are legal and societal pressures against such a thing so there are bigger reason NOT to do that than the reason to do it (being, "I just felt like it" quite often). You can hide it if you hurt yourself, though. And you can hurt yourself through action directed at others. Low self esteem? Drugs and wonton fucking clear that right up. Does that necessarily make it easier not to deck some jerk in a restaurant, though? Or just put the reward for not doing it higher? Two years of freedom is a big reward (vs prison time). You don't get that obvious penalty for drinking heavily, chronically watching porn, or any other self destructive behavior (hell, most of em have a short term reward). We even encourage it as a society in some cases (you need a bigger TV so you can stay home on your couch and watch more mindless entertainment that will tempt you into not saving so you can wear X shoes, eat Y food, visit Z for vacation and be cool when you drive by in this cool car. bugger retirement, nobody lives that long anyway. social security and medicare will take care of all that).
So, despite not being able to understand the motivation behind it (although I do fall into the chronic porn and video game section) my opinion goes that it's harder to avoid self destructive behavior than it is to avoid destorying others. Although, it could be argued that the latter is just another method of the former redirected with some excuse or another.
The trouble with the question is that it's a personal one, primarily based on which way you direct anger. I rarely think I'm at fault, so not hurting myself is easy. My alpha tendancies, though, mean my first reaction is usually to one up someone, so if your a loud mouth I consider sewing it shut. If your an ass in your truck, I think about jacking your rims. Ok, the latter is more passive aggressive and financially rewarding, but passive aggression is still aggression, so even then, is it easier not to to juvenile shit like that to someone else than not to say things like, "I can't find a different job because I suck at x." Let me tell you, if I didn't have such high standards as to the value of personal property, there'd me many a truck in my parking lot with newly minted bumper stickers reading, "Whud're dem yeller lines fer, ma?"
Logically, one would think it's easier not to lash out at others, for a law-abiding person. There are legal and societal pressures against such a thing so there are bigger reason NOT to do that than the reason to do it (being, "I just felt like it" quite often). You can hide it if you hurt yourself, though. And you can hurt yourself through action directed at others. Low self esteem? Drugs and wonton fucking clear that right up. Does that necessarily make it easier not to deck some jerk in a restaurant, though? Or just put the reward for not doing it higher? Two years of freedom is a big reward (vs prison time). You don't get that obvious penalty for drinking heavily, chronically watching porn, or any other self destructive behavior (hell, most of em have a short term reward). We even encourage it as a society in some cases (you need a bigger TV so you can stay home on your couch and watch more mindless entertainment that will tempt you into not saving so you can wear X shoes, eat Y food, visit Z for vacation and be cool when you drive by in this cool car. bugger retirement, nobody lives that long anyway. social security and medicare will take care of all that).
So, despite not being able to understand the motivation behind it (although I do fall into the chronic porn and video game section) my opinion goes that it's harder to avoid self destructive behavior than it is to avoid destorying others. Although, it could be argued that the latter is just another method of the former redirected with some excuse or another.
posted by Amazing Shafeman at 6:12 AM
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