Today was an exercise in restraint if nothing else. It was also a lesson in human interaction.
I had the displeasure of being thoroughly insulted, indirectly, as the result of a direct insult to my Lady. My immediate reaction was one of seething anger that was barely contained. My heart raced as I crafted a response in defense of my Lady's honor. I wanted desperately to verbally flay this knave in a way that was both eloquent and clever.
My first draft was little more than name calling, I was too angry and my emotions were in control. So I waited, and vented some of my anger as I chatted about the incident with my Lady. My second response was much nicer, more concise yet still quite stinging. Of course, my Lady's final response put mine to shame. Hers was the path of the moral high ground, refusing to respond to the knave in a public forum even though she was publicly attacked. Now we all know why I admire and adore her so. *grins*
My emotions have settled and I'm thinking rationally again and I've been mulling the situation over, and over, and over some more. I'm not over thinking it I swear!
However, I have to consider my participation in the entire situation. I know my Master was right when he pointed out that by getting angry with the knave (I really like that word!) I was giving him a certain control. Had I been thinking rationally I would have come to that conclusion myself.
It's kind of interesting to see how quickly and easily civility can be tossed aside when discussions turn to personal attacks. Maybe Master is right we, as a species, aren't so evolved that our civility can always win out over our animal instincts. I still maintain, however, that we are evolved enough that we can make a conscious choice to override the animal instincts no matter how powerful they are. It just takes a great degree of willpower.
I'm still indignant over the entire affair but I won't offer to meet him outside to settle things. In fact, I probably won't give him the time of day online or off from this point on.
