In my experience I find that a lot of otherwise level-headed people panic when they find themselves in an unexpected situation. Panic is of course a survival instinct that prods the body into either 'fight' or 'flight' mode.
Being a naturally docile, peace loving person my first option is never to fight; which, you will agree, would leave me, innate instinct-wise, only one real option – flight. But then you would be wrong.
In my opinion human beings must evolve beyond baser instincts to pause for a lightening speed re-evaluation of circumstances. Believe me if you haven't reacted in the split second, there is always time to re-evaluate.
For example the man on the bicycle will not be saved from injury as you barrel towards him at an idiotic speed if you see him and do not react in the split second – what will be will be after that instant; what is left is only time for re-evaluation.
When you think about it, in the example above, after that split second there are lot of options that are open: a) swerve, b) not swerve, c) swerve left d) swerve right, e) brace, f) brace with eyes open, g) brace with eyes closed, h) tighten up, i) loosen down, and j) look away (I am sure there are more, but you get the point). Gladly these lightening evaluation of circumstance happen in the subsequent sub-seconds that follow the first split second, and it happens rather automatically based on decisions that you brain had made before on your behalf and your basic character. An epiphany or a Talatism truth? You decide.
Given the circumstances, sometimes there is little to really do but make the most of it.
Which brings me to a rather peculiar news item filed by Reuters that I came across on the web about a german man who had to rescued by the mayor from a women's prison.
Apparently the man had walked into the women's prison without noticing while strolling about the town of Hildesheim. However by the time he had realised his error the jail gates had been closed, thus locking him inside (the two questions that beg to be asked, but unfortunately the story did not have the information, was 1) why the gates were open in the first place, and 2) if the gates was closed then someone closed it, it didn't just shut in a light draft – don't think prison gates are built that way).
Anyway, so what did this man do when he found himself locked in an all women's prison? He did what any red-blooded, testosterone-filled he-man would do in the circumstances, he downright panicked and started screaming for help.
Luckily Hildesheim city Mayor Henning Blum was passing by the prison and heard the man's cries for help (which only proves that our macho man was not too deep inside). The good mayor notified the police who subsequently came and freed the 24-year-old.
When questioned, the man said he had inadvertently entered the prison mistaking it as a shortcut to a nearby park. While the reuters report stated that the police said they were investigating why the prison gate was open in the first place, there was no information as to whether any inmates went strolling out into town as a result – perhaps to visit this alleged park nearby.
While I understand the high-voltage jolt of realisation the man might have experienced when it dawned on him what he had done and that obviously he was, like me, a pacifist and thus switching to 'fight' mode was not his first reaction, I am at pains to reconcile to the fact that he cried like a baby.
Perversions aside, being a man in a women's prison cannot be a bad thing. Obviously you don't belong and so at least you can be assured that you will NOT be allowed to remain inside and the way out is literally the way out. I mean the man was in a prison, filled with women, yes, but these women were caged away and the facility was also manned (pardon the pun) by law enforcers – it was not like he found himself as the only man in the middle of an Amazon women's tribe in heat.
In those circumstances, I will admit I could be seen panicking, not so much doubting my virility but because it could be such a bother...
Being a naturally docile, peace loving person my first option is never to fight; which, you will agree, would leave me, innate instinct-wise, only one real option – flight. But then you would be wrong.
For example the man on the bicycle will not be saved from injury as you barrel towards him at an idiotic speed if you see him and do not react in the split second – what will be will be after that instant; what is left is only time for re-evaluation.
When you think about it, in the example above, after that split second there are lot of options that are open: a) swerve, b) not swerve, c) swerve left d) swerve right, e) brace, f) brace with eyes open, g) brace with eyes closed, h) tighten up, i) loosen down, and j) look away (I am sure there are more, but you get the point). Gladly these lightening evaluation of circumstance happen in the subsequent sub-seconds that follow the first split second, and it happens rather automatically based on decisions that you brain had made before on your behalf and your basic character. An epiphany or a Talatism truth? You decide.
Given the circumstances, sometimes there is little to really do but make the most of it.
Which brings me to a rather peculiar news item filed by Reuters that I came across on the web about a german man who had to rescued by the mayor from a women's prison.Apparently the man had walked into the women's prison without noticing while strolling about the town of Hildesheim. However by the time he had realised his error the jail gates had been closed, thus locking him inside (the two questions that beg to be asked, but unfortunately the story did not have the information, was 1) why the gates were open in the first place, and 2) if the gates was closed then someone closed it, it didn't just shut in a light draft – don't think prison gates are built that way).
Anyway, so what did this man do when he found himself locked in an all women's prison? He did what any red-blooded, testosterone-filled he-man would do in the circumstances, he downright panicked and started screaming for help.
Luckily Hildesheim city Mayor Henning Blum was passing by the prison and heard the man's cries for help (which only proves that our macho man was not too deep inside). The good mayor notified the police who subsequently came and freed the 24-year-old.
When questioned, the man said he had inadvertently entered the prison mistaking it as a shortcut to a nearby park. While the reuters report stated that the police said they were investigating why the prison gate was open in the first place, there was no information as to whether any inmates went strolling out into town as a result – perhaps to visit this alleged park nearby.
While I understand the high-voltage jolt of realisation the man might have experienced when it dawned on him what he had done and that obviously he was, like me, a pacifist and thus switching to 'fight' mode was not his first reaction, I am at pains to reconcile to the fact that he cried like a baby.
Perversions aside, being a man in a women's prison cannot be a bad thing. Obviously you don't belong and so at least you can be assured that you will NOT be allowed to remain inside and the way out is literally the way out. I mean the man was in a prison, filled with women, yes, but these women were caged away and the facility was also manned (pardon the pun) by law enforcers – it was not like he found himself as the only man in the middle of an Amazon women's tribe in heat.
In those circumstances, I will admit I could be seen panicking, not so much doubting my virility but because it could be such a bother...
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