Conflict at the Egg Farm

Aug 19, 2012 11:43

Had a run-in with a bully...would like your opinions.

fake lj-cut to my journal

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Comments 6

ironphoenix August 19 2012, 19:21:35 UTC
It seems to me that you didn't do anything wrong, really. Angry Man is angry for some unknown reason; whether you can do anything about that or not is uncertain. If you're up to engaging and hearing him out, that can be a good start to turning down his temperature a bit. Was it clear from what the farmer said whether this was business as usual for Angry Guy or whether it was exceptional?

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randomdiversion August 19 2012, 20:00:36 UTC
The egg farmer didn't know Angry Guy well, he's just someone who stops by for eggs occasionally.

The farmer did not expect him to behave this way, which is why the incident was so upsetting to the farmer--a completely unexpected menace.

I didn't do anything wrong per se--a reasonable person would not have been angered at what I said.

But I did not have to respond to Angry Man's provocation--what do I care what some stranger thinks? I did want to support the farmer's confidence in his existing views, though.

There's probably an aikido term for it, when you motion as if to hit someone, in order to provoke them to strike at you so you can apply a technique? This only works if your provocation results in a return strike; I think that Angry Man was trying to provoke a return (verbal) strike and I fell for his feint by speaking. Why else speak loudly enough to be sure I would hear him?

I think I need to learn to recognize trolls earlier. :shrug:

add: I was willing to listen to him, if he had responded verbally when I spoke, but ( ... )

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ironphoenix August 19 2012, 20:26:52 UTC
It sounds like Angry Guy was just having a bad day and was spoiling for an "excuse" to blow that at someone.

Who knows, maybe it's best that you stepped up, rather than leaving him to attack someone less able to deal with it.

As for the Japanese word you're thinking of... here's an interesting article about feints in kendo; "seme" seems to get at what you mean. I haven't heard it used in aikido, but it seems to fit.

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randomdiversion August 20 2012, 00:42:24 UTC
thanks for the kendo article. :D

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