How do you keep your cool

kelsen

DonDaddyD wrote:

I think you're all missing the point - except the carry a gun comment.

You cannot just remain cool if all the chemicals in the brain, a result of exercising, are the similar ones needed to go retard crazy.

So how do you - the actual act - remain cool. Some people go to a happy place, some people count to 10.

What keeps you from losing your temper (and we all have a temper to lose) when some brick-sh*t decides to cut across you and stop right in front of your bike?

It's down to how much control you have over your reptilian brain, the part of the brain that kept us safe millions of years ago from monstrous beasties with huge teeth. Even though that threat has largely disappeared, the same fight or flight response still takes over when we feel threatened. The logical brain is still relatively young compared to its uncouth counterpart, and sometimes logic and reasoning is not enough to overcome the raw emotions that takes over our thinking in a stressful situation. Learn to control the emotional part of the brain and you learn to control how you respond to a situation.

There are loads of books about emotional intelligence and techniques recommended for developing it.

jonginge

shm_uk wrote:

I think I've now got to the point where nothing surprises me any more, so whenever something happens that would have previously got me riled I now have more of a " *sigh*, typical, ah well" sort of mental response...

People make mistakes, stupid is as stupid does, I just let things wash over me...


However, I've never yet been run into or knocked off my bike, so I've not idea how I will react if that actually ever happens :?

Hopefully it'll be something like:
1. did anybody see me look stupid coming off my bike?
2. is my bike ok?
3. am I ok?

I've been knocked off 3 times (none of them my fault). I was calm in each case. The drivers accepted responsibility, probably because I wasn't ranting and raving at them. Oh, that and in 2 cases there were plenty of witnesses asking me if I wanted their details for statements

It's near misses that get me more riled. These are mostly caused by last-minute lane switches without indication. In those cases the drivers tend to get an ironic thumbs up or a cheery "i'm here" wave.

MonkeyMonster

fear is the mind killer

jonginge

MonkeyMonster wrote:

fear is the mind killer

who is the shortening of the way?

t0pc4t

JonGinge wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

fear is the mind killer

who is the shortening of the way?

I am, as well as being a ninja I am also the kwisatch haderach

it is by will alone I set my wheels in motion, it is by the juice of caffeine the wheels acquire speed, the cleats acquire scuffs, the scuffs become a warning.

jonginge

t0pc4t wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

fear is the mind killer

who is the shortening of the way?

I am, as well as being a ninja I am also the kwisatch haderach

it is by will alone I set my wheels in motion, it is by the juice of caffeine the wheels acquire speed, the cleats acquire scuffs, the scuffs become a warning.

The kwisatch haderach and a caffeine mentat! The sleeper truly has awoken

electric_blue

zen Buddhism works for me, usually.

Trouble is last time got hit by a mtorist I was being uber calm and he completely lost it, punched me int he face and legged it. i went off to have 7 sticthes in my lip!!:(

So ubercalm might not be the best approach.