Does your blood pressure increase when you drive in congested traffic? Has this feeling ever boiled over? Specifically, have you ever honked, gestured, sworn, tailgated……or worse? Ever felt badly afterwards that you “lost it” back there?
Ask yourself, what is at the heart of this reaction on the road. Yes, perhaps they cut you off or pulled a lame move – (and just perhaps there wasn’t even a driving violation and it still elicited your over-the-top reaction). Regardless, does this justify inflicting your own rage upon them? Isn’t your response disproportionate to the situation?
Ever wondered what was behind this surge of anger? Are you aware of the underlying thoughts that contribute to these outbursts?
Road rage is one indicator of how one sees the world and oneself in it. Inherent in this angry behavior is the expectation that the world should be convenient for ME, it should serve MY desires, cater to MY needs. Herein lies the entitlement and with it the sense of superiority. Afterall, “I have places to be”. And besides, “no one is going to cut me off”! Recognize any of this thinking in your own head?
Be assured that if the results of this thinking occur on the road, it is undoubtably happening in your personal relationships too. You disagree? Think it is only how you are with anonymous strangers in metal vehicles that you will never see again? It is true that you most likely won’t encounter these other drivers again, but your problem goes with you. Ask your partner how it is for them to be in the car with you at those times. Do they see this behavior flair up elsewhere? Does it concern and/or intimidate them?
Look deeper into the road rage. Are you really more important than the driver next to you? Do you consider your agenda a higher priority? Is their behavior towards you really a personal affront? And if another driver is acting aggressively towards you, did you have a part to play in this angry exchange?
If you observe that you come with your rage ready and loaded, perhaps you can then become interested in making a different choice, for rage is a choice. What do YOU get out choosing rage?
