14 votes

Topic deleted by author

15 comments

  1. [6]
    mat
    Link
    The other day I was driving with my son in the car. He was, finally, peacefully asleep (he's barely one year old) after having a particularly difficult day and then some bellend in a gold Merc...

    The other day I was driving with my son in the car. He was, finally, peacefully asleep (he's barely one year old) after having a particularly difficult day and then some bellend in a gold Merc pulled an extremely dangerous move which only didn't end in an accident because I'd assumed he was going to do something stupid and pre-emptively allowed for that. If that guy had been in front of me, in person, outside the cars, at that moment - I might well have hurt him very badly. I wanted to, for a few minutes. He put my baby's life at risk. There's part of my brain which reacts to that in a very powerful way, more so than someone putting my own life at risk. It's not the part of my brain which is a human, it's part of my brain which was once an animal and the important thing is that I have control over it.

    I'm of the opinion that it's OK, and entirely normal, to think these things sometimes, especially when life has been endangered. Physically fighting for one's life has been a solid survival strategy for our genes for millions of years, after all. That stuff runs deep. What's not OK is to act on those thoughts. Animals act without thinking, humans do not. I think of it as a kind of gom jabbar.

    13 votes
    1. [5]
      wantavanta
      Link Parent
      people act without thinking, too.

      people act without thinking, too.

      1 vote
      1. [4]
        mat
        Link Parent
        Not all human-shaped animals are humans. Hence the mention of the gom jabbar.

        Not all human-shaped animals are humans. Hence the mention of the gom jabbar.

        3 votes
        1. [3]
          wantavanta
          Link Parent
          not all animals-shaped are animals. If you can get caught up in the thirst for water or warmth or the fear of pain, it doesn't make you a human being or an animal or a cyborg or anything else. You...

          not all animals-shaped are animals.

          If you can get caught up in the thirst for water or warmth or the fear of pain, it doesn't make you a human being or an animal or a cyborg or anything else.
          You can just do it.

          6 votes
          1. [2]
            mat
            Link Parent
            A survival - or even injury - situation is different from one where your life or body is not in danger. A civilised being - a human by the definition as used in the book Dune - doesn't resort to...

            A survival - or even injury - situation is different from one where your life or body is not in danger. A civilised being - a human by the definition as used in the book Dune - doesn't resort to violence because someone steals their parking space or doesn't slow down when they should.

            1 vote
            1. wantavanta
              (edited )
              Link Parent
              I'm sorry. But animals don't always rape when they steal their bowl of food or punch animals in the face. I have read Dune and do not agree that you can overcome fear. I think that fear is won by...

              I'm sorry. But animals don't always rape when they steal their bowl of food or punch animals in the face.
              I have read Dune and do not agree that you can overcome fear. I think that fear is won by knowing fear, not by resisting fear with prayer (litany) against fear. but even knowing fear does not guarantee the disappearance of fear because it implies that you are more or less mentally healthy to study fear.

              Even if you want to control your mind, you can't always control it. Remember at least the cases of brain disease. What happens then? A human brain disorder makes a human being an animal.

              perhaps (imagine) Paul had a different hormonal system of the brain, which allowed him to resist fear and had nothing to do with his upbringing.

  2. mike10010100
    Link
    It's a form of "call of the void", IMO. Intrusive thoughts that you would probably never act on except in specific circumstances. It can sometimes reveal itself in the form of "you know, someone...

    It's a form of "call of the void", IMO. Intrusive thoughts that you would probably never act on except in specific circumstances.

    It can sometimes reveal itself in the form of "you know, someone with a bomb could kill everyone in this room" or "if I had a sword, I could probably get through most of the people here before someone stops me".

    These are intrusive thoughts. They are perfectly and completely normal. The important thing is being mindful about them and recognizing that these thoughts are not okay to act on, and are just something your brain does.

    But the rage, the strong sense of justice that calls you to perform acts of vigilantism, that is honorable, I'd argue. While I don't imagine hurting anyone, I often times imagine doing to them what they do to others, forcing empathy upon them, or perhaps just inconveniencing them simply because they're being a jerk.

    Like the other day, there was a garbage truck behind a car turning right on a narrow street. The car was stopped to let 2 elderly people walk across the street, crossing properly with the light, and they were taking quite some time. The garbage truck honked their massively loud horn for a good 5-10 seconds, then began to maneuver around the car despite the fact that there was no room.

    In my mind, I imagined running out in front of the garbage truck and just....standing there. Making him realize that the world doesn't go at his speed, and delaying him further than if he'd just shown an ounce of patience.

    8 votes
  3. smores
    Link
    I mostly agree with the other commenters here. If this is something that you occasionally think of, but doesn’t cause you notable distress or otherwise negatively impact your life, simply...

    I mostly agree with the other commenters here. If this is something that you occasionally think of, but doesn’t cause you notable distress or otherwise negatively impact your life, simply imagining violent acts feels more or less normal.

    That said, intrusive thoughts of violence were exactly the symptom my close friend experienced when they were diagnosed with OCD. If this is something that happens regularly enough or with enough persistence to be distracting or otherwise cause you emotional distress, it’s probably worth finding a mental health professional to talk to.

    I’m not actually insinuating that you specifically have OCD, I just wanted to make sure the possibility was pointed out in case it was relevant to anyone!

    3 votes
  4. wantavanta
    Link
    It's a rush of endogenous drugs when you want A=A and you get (reality) A=Z Everybody feels so called rage, aggression, overthrust, but for everyone it flows in different intensity. Try to change...

    It's a rush of endogenous drugs when you want A=A and you get (reality) A=Z
    Everybody feels so called rage, aggression, overthrust, but for everyone it flows in different intensity.
    Try to change your diet. For example, reduce the amount of food you eat.
    Try to catch the moments from the beginning of the aggression and as much detail as possible this understanding reduces the aggression.

    1 vote
  5. WendigoTulpa
    Link
    We all need a release valve on our frustration. Maybe imagining over-the-top revenge scenarios isn't the best thing since it stops you from being rational, and might get you into a bad mood, but...

    We all need a release valve on our frustration. Maybe imagining over-the-top revenge scenarios isn't the best thing since it stops you from being rational, and might get you into a bad mood, but they feel good to imagine, and the temptation is hard to resist.

    Writing about it released your anger in a more productive way.

    1 vote
  6. patience_limited
    Link
    Reading this, I was stuck by (pun intended) the ways in which modern life deprives us of the physical activity sources that we've evolved for all the endogenous chemicals that anger releases. I...

    Reading this, I was stuck by (pun intended) the ways in which modern life deprives us of the physical activity sources that we've evolved for all the endogenous chemicals that anger releases.
    I see what seem like disproportionate cycles of anger in abstract places - online arguments, traffic, news punditry, school board meetings... And I can't help wondering if there's an unmet need for bodily expression feeding the suicide and gun violence rates.
    It isn't just a question of our own physical activity levels - we're enmeshed among far more people who are helplessly tied to screens or stuck in cars all day, and behaving worse for it.

    Also, every religion I know of has an elaborate system of retributive justice, often disproportionate to the violence of "sins" committed. It seems we're wired to want this, and your fantasies are nothing extraordinary in comparison to the prospect of eternally baking someone in Hell or reincarnating them as a sea slug. This deferral of punishment serves the social need to mitigate perpetual immediate violence.

    At the same time, there's a danger in getting angry at yourself about feeling angry. That way lies depression, and potentially, an addiction to the chemistry of anger.

    1 vote
  7. RapidEyeMovement
    Link
    As an aside, SD was not designed to be pedestrian friendly. It sucks I know. Public transit is basically non-existent. SD is spread out, there are ravines that break up each neighborhood, so it...

    As an aside, SD was not designed to be pedestrian friendly. It sucks I know. Public transit is basically non-existent. SD is spread out, there are ravines that break up each neighborhood, so it makes walking hard. But it has a great beer scene. And each neighborhood has its own flavor, which means it can be fun to explore. Also you should check out, Cueva Bar. It is a small place, but perfect for an intimate date. The tapas are phenomenal, chef Oz is usually there to help guide you through the menu.

    1 vote
  8. unknown user
    Link
    I lived in Istanbul up until these couple of weeks where I'm moving to a smaller city. You just can't spend a single day outside without imagining or wanting to at least beat someone up real...

    I lived in Istanbul up until these couple of weeks where I'm moving to a smaller city. You just can't spend a single day outside without imagining or wanting to at least beat someone up real badly: people are utterly thoughtless, and you have only so much patience, it's a limited resource. What you feel is something I sympathise with and an experience I really share.

    Like, what do you think about that idiot that stands on the left side of the escalators? It's written ten times on the walls, and just look at people, are those idiots for standing on the right? Logical or not, it's a custom, a convention, why not obey it until someone tells you to fuck off out of their way please? What do you think about the selfish drivers that don't allow you to cross on the zebras or a single lane road, even under heavy rain? Or those that disobey red lights just because there isn't any automatic system to fine you for it? Those that park on pedestrian crossings? Motorists and cyclists and skiers that ride on the pavements? Football fans that chant on the metro? People who sneak into queues? Who walk like zombies looking at their phones blocking passage at a busy path? Groups that walk in a horizontal line that don't let those who come from behind or front pass? Who just chuck stuff on the ground as if the city was their litter? Who speak so loudly in enclosed areas that you feel dizzy? Who steal your personal space while they sit or stand in public spaces and transport? IDK, if a genie came out of some magic lamp when some fool just jumps in between me and a shopkeeper when it's my turn and they actually serve the other one, I'd ask it to make them suffer. All these stuff and many others lead me to imagine violent revenges. That said, I'm yet to actually do anything other than criticising people or swearing at them when I'm really pissed off. I think that's entirely normal. Anger like this naturally leads to violent thoughts, the important part is how you express such desires, and from what you say you manage it like how I imagine most sane people that live in cities and towns among insane selfish beasts do.

    1 vote
  9. [2]
    DonQuixote
    Link
    It doesn't matter if it's normal or not, the rush of adrenaline and other causes of uncontrolled anger have to be managed. If you're having problems with this to the point that it's affecting...

    It doesn't matter if it's normal or not, the rush of adrenaline and other causes of uncontrolled anger have to be managed. If you're having problems with this to the point that it's affecting others around you, (children and family members can be affected by even a verbal outburst), please seek help.

    1. [2]
      Comment deleted by author
      Link Parent
      1. DonQuixote
        Link Parent
        That's great. I tend to take out my aggression on inanimate objects, especially with language. This is something I've tried to curb. My kids had to hear that growing up and now I regret it.

        That's great. I tend to take out my aggression on inanimate objects, especially with language. This is something I've tried to curb. My kids had to hear that growing up and now I regret it.