Controversy and Our Reactions


Reactions can make or break just about anything.  A great reaction can turn a tense moment into a light-hearted, amusing one.  A poor reaction can turn the best date in the world into a please-God-just-get-me-out-of-here-by-any-means-necessary date.  Reactions can also trigger great controversies.

People react differently in different situations, but I always try to pause and think about what just happened before I fully react.  Granted, I do have those initial, what-the-fuck-did-I-just-witness reactions that can derail my thoughtful reactions.  A lot of people seem to have forgotten that they can control their reactions.  They fly off the cuff, and everything offends them.  They do not take the time to ask why something happened, if there are other sides to the story, or if they might be misunderstanding what was meant.

Reactions are reflective by nature.  That is not the word I wanted, but I cannot think of it.  What I mean by this is that if someone reacts with emotion, the other parties tend to do the same.  If someone reacts with calm logic, others tend to calm down as well.  Instead of being offended by every little statement ever made, instead of flying off the handle in an emotional tirade,  and instead of reacting like everyone is out to win or out play us, if we just take a moment to think about other possibilities, responding in a calmer nature, there might be less violence and less massively offended people out there.  My father taught me that I cannot control what others do, but I can control how I react to them.


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