If we think deeply about traffic or negative road experiences we will come to see that it can be labeled as a determinate and revealer of suffering within an individual. A person who at that moment is suffering and or going through some sort of pain will project their being out unto others if he/she is provoked by an external event. For how can it be otherwise? People allow such minuet things to effect their lives. One lousy honk at a person driving who is suffering and they will pull beside you and maliciously stare you down while speeding off eventually with their middle finger seeable through the back window.
I will admit to you all, I use to project my anger out onto others when I would drive ALOT. They’re driving to slow? -Get mad, unnecessarily speak ill upon them for no reason, proceed to pass them up. They cut ME off? -Take it personal, get angry, and proceed to cut them back off. They pull out in slowly in front of me? -Furiously honk, speed up and pass them up while flicking them off. One day I was texting a friend of mine and she could tell through my diction that I was angry and called me out on it. I was angry, and it was all because some older lady was honking unnecessarily at me. She called me out for such behavior and said that I was being unloving. And me being ignorant and not taking responsibility for my unnecessary responses, I quickly denied her conscious advice and told myself she did not know what she was talking about. It took another experience for me to realize that I must control my negative impulses better when I am on the road. One day I was leaving class and was trying to back up out of my parking spot. This community college I went to had their parking in a multi-leveled garage so at certain times it would get very congested. Well, as I waited for a spot to clear open and back up I was not let out by some guy. My impatient self became frustrated and was looking through my back window while cursing him out and flicking him off. This guy was not having it and literally got out of his car and came up to my window screaming at me while insisting that we fight. Although I was not necessarily frightened by him, I was not angry nor reactive enough to get out of my car and physically hit him. Although I did feel an urge to want to give in and start a fight due to his proving insults, I suddenly realized that I caused the whole situation in the first place. The guy finally stopped angrily speaking to me, spat, and walked backed to his car. This event made me realize how easy it is to experience serious ‘road rage’ and how my behavior can quickly determine and trigger others pain and suffering. From that moment forward I told myself I would not be flicking random people off and be more conscious of my actions while I drive. This experience could of ended in another a whole different way if I had been a bit more impulsive and fought the man. I probably would have ended up getting arrested, shot, or even worse killed and would not be here typing this today. Life is so indeterminable and people are very impulsive. Especially people who are deeply in a temporary mode of pain and suffering. These types of people have no problem with fighting or hurting a random stranger like you and I. For people who are more sincere towards other they will still be angry and project that anger out onto the road other drivers, but they are less likely to cause a scene. If you really want to see how well someone such as a friend/ significant other can hold their composer and not let other people’s character dictate and have control over them, watch how they drive. Simple as that. There will be many happenings on the road where the driver’s inner self will be tested and their reactions will tell you a lot about them. For if a person is calm, relaxed, and well grounded how can they be moved by such ignorant actions from others. Such a person won’t even speak or think ill upon others while driving, even though there may seem reason to, their quiescent inner being will not react.
I realize now and have even taken a conscious step forward to try and not be moved by the ignorant driving of others. I will not allow my being to be controlled by another’s negative choice. It is so. We do not even realize that we lose our self for a moment and we let these unconscious drivers take control of our lives. The only true everlasting fix to this problem in society is not enforcing laws or regulations, but to get rid of the pain and the suffering at it’s core. This is on a whooooole ‘nother level of consciousness and requires much more action that just sitting here and typing. I do have faith though that it is possible, not to say when… but I know.. this is possible.