Righteousness
I was driving my daughter to school this morning. As I headed east the sun was shining low on the horizon and very brightly in my face. To my right, at the last minute, I noticed a man waiting to cross the street at the crosswalk. He was throwing his hands up as I passed him by. I literally did not see him until I passed as he was gesticulating his discontent. Then I realized multiple cars had passed by before me and also failed to stop for him. I guess he thought we were all just total assholes. But I assure you from each driver's perspective he truly was not visible until it was too late for us to stop and let him cross.
Differences in perspectives. Differences in the experience of reality.
This little incident was like a microcosm of the state of humanity. One person does something unintentionally that negatively impacts or is offensive to another. Wars are started over shit like this on a larger scale. What if I was offended that he was throwing his arms up at me as I drove by him? What if I pulled over and confronted him for offending me, and then he fires back at how I offended him?! Little squabbles can escalate quickly.
Did this guy let it go? Or, is he still walking around today self righteously holding onto his anger, grumbling and telling anyone who will listen how the town is full of assholes who failed to yield to him?
I don't know… But all I can do is try and be more aware of that crosswalk tomorrow morning. Let go of any guilt I might feel about what happened before, and remember when I'm the one waiting to cross that others are usually doing the best they can at the time and are often not being assholes intentionally.
Very true @steemed-open. Great post.
I would propose taking it one step further. Combine the concept of pre-conceived notions into the mix and you have an even bigger recipe for disaster.
When something like your experience occurs and the one or both parties enters into the experience with a pre-conceived notion about the other person, then the experience is more likely to lead them to a particular biased conclusion.
Considering it's more common that our pre-conceived notions of others tend to be negative in nature (I believe) then we could really be in mis-conception trouble.
Oh and BTW. I love your dress. My wife would love it too! It's her style as well. Beautiful.
Nice piece. This really spoke to me cos am someone that worries about what the other person is thinking,and most of the time I find out that what I was thinking he was thinking was not what he was thinking. So to add to what you've said, the person in the car should be more watchful of people on the roads, but most importantly he should not allow the guilt of feeling the other guy is still upset, depress him, but should condition his mind that the guy is not holding unto any wrong. Thanks a bunch.
Beautiful, lady 💫
I love how you captured a fleeting moment, stepped outside of it and turned what could of been a very heated moment into a lesson to be learned!...
apart of me wishes he could see how nicely you turned that moment around and see that in turn, you are not even a millisecond of an asshole 😘
Was he short?camouflaged? Why you and others did not notice him? Did drivers look at the mobile phones? Would it be his fault for being invisible if some of you hit him with the car? Would he have right to be angry then?
I think she explained it pretty clearly:
As a pedestrian it's important to maintain situational awareness. Part of that is understanding how lighting conditions might impact the drivers around you.
The sun was low on the horizon and shining directly on our faces. We could not see him because of the light. He could not know this because he was looking away from the light. It was just a difference in realities.
A great reflection. Often people like him will hold on to the frustration creating a bad energy around them for the day maybe longer. Nothing you can do for him and those around him now but by writing this post and being mare aware you are spreading much more positive energy in turn counteracting his negative energy ten fold :)
🙏🏽
If there are two people, there are two perspectives
So true.
very good reflection, are situations of daily life that we can not control because each human being is different therefore responds differently to the same stimuli, as you say, you could have lowered and put to discuss by the posture of the peaton, but you decided to react another way, very nice photos, thanks for sharing
That's really, in a way, every day life. You see people getting in accidents every single day, but it isn't like they said "I'm going out today and taking out a telephone pole at an intersection." It just happens, and if we all had George Jetson cars, things like that would still happen. Astro would still get away from Elroy and run/fly right in front of us. Holy shit, I still remember the whole Jetson casts names. His daughter Judy was pretty hot back in the day :P
I really hope the guy were able to let it go. I hope he have later realised the same thing You have. That no one could see him until it was too late and regret hia attitude toward all the drivers 😘 by the way... cool