“My life is in the hands of any fool who is able to make me lose my temper”

One of the things I’m most thankful for is that anger/temper has not been a huge struggle for me. A large amount of this is due to observation and instruction from my father/grandfather/great-grandfather. Three different generations, each making improvement upon the last. This far down the line, my emotional expression tends to rarely sway from zen mode. Raising one’s voice, losing a temper, or abandoning logic/reasoning in lieu of a temporary burst of emotion is a fine recipe for disaster – and a huge motivator for a lot of crimes that occur.

Being able to walk away from somebody who has harmed you, instead of gracing them with the gift of your temper, is the sign of a gentleman. Somebody told me this morning – “Aaron, wisdom can’t be taught.” Five hours later on this phone call, I was grateful to have stopped and immediately called the smartest man I know after hanging up a prior phone call. Seeking counsel and advice in the midst of rocky situations is not a sign of weakness, but one of maturity and process.

I think emotional capacity has a two-way involvement in our lives. There are some situations where it ought to be implemented more. If the oil and gas industry saw people (and this planet) as more than spreadsheets and a disposable asset to ravage, we wouldn’t have towns of people that can light their tap water on fire, or ocean life being forced to take an oil bath.

In other situations, a more logical/rational approach is appropriate to take. In certain situations, there are very clear black and white issues of ethics, legality, morality, and simply what is ‘right’ to do. In cases where there is a disagreement between two parties on these black/white issues, one has to evaluate whether or not it’s worth it to take the time to try and make the opposing party see the perspective from your view. When two men are eating a steak and one of them discovers the meat is really horse meat, he’d be an idiot to take another bite. And the decision of the other man to keep eating the steak is the only thing he needs to realize there’s a clear-cut impasse between the two minds.