on learning about what one will do
when up against a wall. thoughts, questions, ways, practice, vigilance of the self.
I think there can be opportunity to test one’s nature within a school setting. That, combined with intense introspection and honest questioning, goes beyond the theoretical. For me, this involved trusting my teacher with my life, and realizing that he had power to stop me if necessary. He didn’t have to.
In school, the presence of a bully or one who would abuse a physically weaker student to humiliate or the injure, is not unheard of. It happens. Situations like this can bring out abilities and character traits in the challenged that might not be otherwise available for view. I see this as one way of beginning a practical exam of one’s nature and potential to take certain kinds of action.
If a person, like myself and the querent of this thread and others, questions propensity to violence, and rightness of the means within the hands of one’s self and others, and beyond that, that indicates the possibility of real conscience, and that is the beginning. Next, to realize upon what that conscience is based, and to find the self.
Before the physical letting go, there is the emotional. If that is done to the extreme, even under relatively controlled circumstances, enough knowledge can be derived to sufficiently answer important parts of the question at hand. It goes beyond the theoretical. It continues. When later confronted with a situation outside of the framework of student-student relationships, does the person decide he can get away with it and go beyond necessary action, or does the solemnity of this make one realize that this is for keeps? In other words, does outside violent confrontation provide not just the necessity for defense, but an opportunity to express a violent tendency (not talking about causes here)?
I feel strongly that it is possible to predict, up to a point, how a person will react. Does the person like it when others hurt, physically or emotionally? Is the person masking mean aggression with very soft-spoken submissive behaviors? I’m sure there are other indicators. If honest self-evaluation over a period of time is engaged in, and if a trusted teacher (on a master’s level in my case) is witness, it is more than likely that certain predictions can be made, grey areas accepted and included.
Other issues, such as retalliation, vengeance become more advanced, I think, as situations increse in degree of severity. Retalliation. It’s like then it never ends. Goes back and forth like a ping pong ball. I don’t like that. With retalliation, hatred is not necessarily involved, in my view.
In war, the issue of a dark vengeance comes up, very dark. Things are done, broken, killed that can’t be replaced. Yet, it seems best to reject vengeance. It involves hatred. It’s tricky.
No-Know, I must admit to getting lost in your discourse on “Back to the Future.” That was the Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd flick, yes? It’s been a while since I saw it. I’ll read the post again in a couple of days and see if anything gets thru. Don’t sweat it.
I like what you wrote after. It does scare me. Going beyond the punch, into the invisible, there is a fear. Where thought is action with no in between and the thought is one’s fiber, to realize that is a terrifying moment, and to see it in others is humbling. I have wondered how we manage to survive. thank you.
Cody
The simulations of situations only draw a picture that falls short of the Actual. Be aware that you Cannot validly Test what you can do. Be Humble in the Awareness that you are awesome (only the arrogant can be Humble-by Ernie Moore Jr.). It Should scare you. And, hope each day that you don’t find out how awesome you are, as the ripples, Tsunami.