A Red Flag To A Raging Bull

Ever had a chance to catch a glimpse of a matador taunting a two ton killing machine with a piece of colorful fabric while the crowd goes wild with excitement as you say to yourself, “that bull really goes apeshit for discount linen.” I’m just assuming it’s discounted because...well..it’s being paraded in front of a very irritable, extremely powerful, horny animal. (I will have you know that I acknowledged this chance to make a joke about a celebrity figure, but I chose to be an adult. So; yea...growth)

If you’re anything like me and bullfighting isn’t your niche, then you’re probably going to be just as shocked as I was to find out that the bull is actually killed at the end of this ritualistic dance. If there is a chance that I am alone, keep it to yourself and allow me to continue. This new finding took on many dimensions after the initial WTF moment. I had no choice, but to see it for exactly what it is. Reaction without response. This bull, who is perfectly capable of controlling it’s aggression in it’s natural habitat, is being met with an unforeseen circumstance. Unforeseen because it literally doesn’t possess the neurological connections that would allow him to thoroughly examine the complexities of his new and unnatural environment. Albeit biology is the pathway to his tumultuous fate, it is his aggressive and impulsive reactions that render him inert with self destructive sequences that ultimately leads to his demise.

Which leads me to the human. I know, I know; it’s much more fun to ponder away about creatures less evolved, but as it turns out, I know way more about humans than bulls so let’s get to the grit of what this is actually about.

Now, just as our mothers would read to us about the misfortune of other creatures in hopes that we’d gain real insight from distant metaphorical lessons extracted from the deranged imagination of the author of a children’s book; I hope to connect you to the struggle of the raging bull and help you find your very own happy ending. Unlike the bull we are fully equipped with psychological privileges like hindsight, foresight, and any other mental processes that would fit into the category of temporal travel. So with the ability to plan ahead and learn from past mistakes, how could we possibly be deceived by a waving red flag? Well the truth is, obstacles don’t become easier just because you were born at the top of the food chain. In fact, they become more complicated. Similar in it’s elusiveness, but due to evolutionary disparities, it’s pretty obvious why the properties of this “red flag” would have to take on new dimensions. This is where we enter the realm of reaction vs response. Technically everything is reacting, all the time. Life is a well choreographed danced comprised of two steps; is and ain’t. Whether you “is” or you “ain’t” usually depends on how you respond to the motion.

A response is thought out to some degree. It’s a conscious step in the direction of a desired outcome. A reaction is an unconscious movement; an involuntary action relying solely on instinctive features to stay alive. Some scientists believe it to be the main code of our unconscious mind; survival optimization. Have you ever reacted instinctively to a situation, reflected on it later, and realized you could’ve handled it with so much more poise and restraint? Of course you have. Who the hell hasn’t. Well... the bull maybe, but that’s just the point. There’s not always a sword awaiting behind the trickery of our agitators and trolls. So quite often we will live to learn from our mistakes. But we don’t. We’re continuously encouraged to perpetuate the same hamster on a wheel mentality because it is easy and less disruptive to our comfortability, which ironically, becomes more stressful with every unconscious reaction. We begin to feel powerless and inadequate and in turn become more frustrated and distraught. Which leaves less energy for us to take the time to breathe and respond appropriately. See the algorithm here? It’s a recipe for disaster.

So next time you want to freak out because someone has found the golden ticket to your last nerve, stop and think about the outcome for a second. Is it worth your energy, your career, your relationship, etc.? Try to cultivate the idea that everything doesn’t need justification. Don’t be like the raging bull; eagerly charging forth into a meaningless death over a game that was designed to destroy him, essentially, by his own devices. Who cares why the red flag is waving and more importantly who cares about the jackass with nothing better to do than to project their knee-jerk impulses to be a jackass on any unsuspecting civilian. Besides, eventually, the tables do turn and some unlucky matador gets it up the whooha for waving his ridiculous blanket at a willing subject. But I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with the idiom about getting the horns, so If you don’t take anything else from this, I have a random quote from Ann Romney that may help drive this home.

It goes “Sometimes when I hear criticism of my husband, I want to come out of my seat and clock somebody. But you learn to take a deep breath.”

So next time you’re about to rage on with no imminent danger threatening your existence, just remember; what would Ann Romney do. Have a good week and as my yogi friends would say, Nameste.