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Human)?) psychology - 2/21/2010 10:04:41 PM

Termyn8or

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I was outmatched. There was a minor dispute and I stood my ground against an attacker who would've probably kicked my ass. But the fact that I stood up and said my piece, even though it wasn't nice, quelled the confrontation. I simply told him "I have no fear of you, let's go, I stick your ass in the fuckling infirmary and most likely prison time mother fucker, you wanna go there ?". This was in a county jail years, over a decade ago.

Since then I have seen many things, and actually even before that. I have been studying psychology since I was like 11 years old. I now have a postulation to present and if I were charged with the task of writing a dissertation this would probably be the topic.

There is something in the human instinct that makes a superior force or anything stronger appear as a threat.

This cuts across all possible lines which may be drawn due to individual circumstances. For example I have been in rooms without my gun when everyone else there had their's. OK that might be different because they were friends, but what if they weren't ? What if I simply didn't know them, why would they shoot me ? Take this to the animal kingdom now.

Let's say I am a tuna, and am considered tasty by the sharks in the area. I would know that, either by instinct or learning, and I would guess the instinct method has a better survival rate. But let's say instead I am an octopus. The do not want to eat me. They could be twenty times my size and a hundred times my strength but they simpy are not a threat.

For example I know a few people who carry guns almost all the time. I don't see them as a threat because they are friends, not enemies. It is true that as we tip a beer here at the Terminal they actually do have the power to kill anyone they wish, which includes me.

Now let's say someone I don't know knocks and just give the usual yell "It's open". He walks in and has a sidearm, visible. Why should I automatically percieve him as a threat ? All I know is that he has a gun, it's not like he shoots people all day long.

But the gun issue is only part of it. This shit went on right here, and I had to explain to big dude that advancing on not so big dude in that manner was in fact threatening. But that is an action. In this case we are talking someone seriously tough who should have a registered arm. Never lost a fight, beats the shit out of black belts and has been offered several, karate, judo, whatever. Despite of that fact, the other party was outmatched, yet still he is one who cannot be intimidated. Could've been a nice bloodbath.

I was taugtht not to be intimidated from day one. No matter the strength of my opponent, my attitude becomes the same - I guess I will have to learn to die well.

But back to guns for a second, many think the mere presence of a killing machine is intimidating. As soon as they see a gun they want away from it. I think it was jlf who posted that he set a gun down on a shelf and watched it closely for day, and it did not kill anyone.

But think about the mentality here. We don't want Iran to ahve nukes, why ? They would never be so stupid to attack us. Your neighbor a gun nut ? Well has he shot you lately ? Really, in the face of nature and a whole lot of other things that are truly bigger than us, what is a gun, or a stick of dynamite, or a knife ?

So after my 30+ years of study I come up with this conclusion. A superior power is automatically, ala in default, percieved as a threat.

I also submit the addendum that this trait is the cause of up to half of the world's problems.

I now yield the floor.

T

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RE: Human)?) psychology - 2/22/2010 7:42:43 AM

BLoved

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I think you are describing a cultural phenomenon.

I grew up in a culture without firearms: you hear gunshot in the city, you dial 911 ... no one has a legitimate use for a gun, so no one should be packing one.

In such a culture it is rather easy to feel intimidated by the presence of a firearm.

So when I moved to the country and heard gunshot, I called 911.

After duly investigating the situation, the officers politely explained to me that out here in the country lots of people have guns, and it is not unusual for them to use their weapons for target practice.

Out here guns provide essential defense against wild dogs, coydogs, coyotes, wolves and bears ... predators of people and livestock.

Obviously a very different culture than the one I grew up in, and with very different ways of looking at things like guns.

When you speak of Iran having nukes and that they are unlikely to bomb us ... I don't think that's really the point. Nukes don't have to sit on top of icbms to be a threat. Hand one to a terrorist, bury a few in your oil fields and you could be even more of a threat.

The concern about Iran is not that they are developing nukes, but that a government unfriendly to the west is developing nukes ... same issue with North Korea.

Compare relations with these countries with those between us and India, Pakistan, England and France.

It's not the nukes, it is the relationship that raises concerns.

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