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The Wisdom of Psychopaths
In this engrossing journey into the lives of psychopaths and their infamously crafty behaviors, the renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a...
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Consider the following recent sobering reports:
- A motorist shot and killed the driver of another car “because he was driving too slowly.”
- A large crowd was blocking the parking lot exit of a nightclub. A driver who was growing impatient with waiting for an opening drove his car straight into the crowd, seriously injuring seven people.
- When Jack Nicholson got cut off, the actor waited until both he and the other driver were stopped at a red light, then got out of his car, and hit the windshield and roof of the other car with his golf club. He returned to his car and drove away.
Of course, you wouldn’t do such things. Or would you?
You might, because road rage is remarkably common. In one survey of more than 500 drivers, 90 percent reported that during the past year they either were a victim of road rage or had witnessed it. These statistics actually may be underestimates. For one thing, many respondents may not want to admit to road rage because it is socially undesirable. Also, more people report being the target rather than the initiator of road rage, supporting the idea that initiators may not be fessing up.
Psychologist Elisabeth Wells-Parker of Mississippi State University and her associates have suggested that the term “road rage” implies specific incidents of anger and aggression directed intentionally at another driver, vehicle or object. When the behavior erupts, the presence of firearms can worsen the situation. As physician Matthew Miller of the Harvard School of Public Health and his colleagues have pointed out, 11 percent of a randomly selected sample of 790 drivers reported that they always or sometimes carried a gun (usually loaded) in their vehicle.
Who Are These People?
Anybody can be susceptible. Road ragers are men and women, young and old, rich and poor, mentally disturbed and healthy, people with and without generalized anger problems, and members of various ethnicities. Some become angry almost every time they drive, whereas others do so infrequently. Although aggressive retaliation, such as assault or murder, characterizes the extreme end of these behaviors, most crabby drivers engage in milder displays, such as verbal insults, obscene gestures, honking their horn, cutting off other drivers and chasing other cars.
Still, research does point to some similarities among those who are susceptible to belligerent acts when behind the wheel. People with aggressive tendencies across a variety of situations, including home and work, have an increased likelihood of road rage. Younger drivers are more prone than older drivers are. Men have historically displayed a greater predilection, although women recently have been catching up. Many road ragers are otherwise model citizens who are successful in work and in relationships and well respected in their communities.
Why do some people get angry and even violent in response to the irritating behavior of other drivers, whereas others do not? Psychologist Jerry Deffenbacher of Colorado State University has proposed that some people have a trait for, or predisposition toward, this type of behavior that is triggered by the poor driving of other motorists. Many of his studies have found that those who display lower levels of the trait are far less likely to respond with road rage, even when exposed to the same triggers.
Other researchers have tried to uncover the nature of this trait, and their studies have found that those prone to road rage may show one or more of a variety of characteristics: general aggression (not limited to driving), high levels of stress, antisocial tendencies, or low impulse control and frustration tolerance. Researchers have also demonstrated that road ragers are sensitive to supposed attacks on their self-esteem. For example, in the clinical practice of one of us (Arkowitz), people with road rage problems perceived the irksome behaviors of other drivers as a sign of disrespect and a personal insult rather than attributing those behaviors to the other drivers’ carelessness or recklessness. Arkowitz found it useful to help clients learn that “it is not about you.” Certain psychological problems have also been found to relate to the road rage trait, including antisocial and borderline personality disorders as well as alcohol and substance abuse.
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25 Comments
Add CommentHas anyone else noticed a similar phenomenon on the net. A simple post can elicit tremendous amounts of displaced rage. Has anyone studied this anomaly?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPerhaps another part of the solution would be to get some of the people who "cause" road rage off the road. This would be those who drive way to slowly in the left lane, those who drive too slowly where they cannot be passed, and thosewho generally are not thoughtful of others on the road.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI've had a few 'incidents' that I've perpetrated, thank god nothing too serious. Although I'm not generally a nut job, other peoples driving has before driven me to rage. I'm a 40+ year old average guy. I've changed several things in my thought processes while I'm driving. First and foremost I've gotten the heck out of the left lane! I've observed that almost EVERYONE goes for that lane because we all think of it as the 'fast' lane. I think that puts an expiation that isn't possible in heavy traffic.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI now set the cruise control for EXACTLY the speed limit and ride in the right lane. The idea is to not have to do too much to worry about how others are driving. It's made me feel like I am doing the right thing, I don't have to worry about others coming up behind because I am doing exactly what the law says I should be doing. People merging either need to speed up or slow down because it's up to them to yield. That has to be about the most unpopular thing about this driving style. I've had people drive the exact same speed as me while they are merging. I've moved over, then I've had people in the left lane want me to get the heck out of the way, and rightfully so. I'll accelerate, drop back into the right lane, resume my previous speed, and the person behind me will get ticked because they want to accelerate. So to avoid this whole thing I just stay put. I get the horn from time to time, but I don't care because I think I'm doing the right thing.
I will say even driving to DC for the weekend, I'll arrive to my designation not feeling stressed out at all. And for me that's saying A LOT!
What do you all think of this style of driving?
When people breaking the law think they are entitled to do so, such as breaking the speed limit in the so-called "fast lane," then it's not a problem of road rage, but of stupidity. Maybe we ought to address that problem first.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhile riding one day, the man in the car ahead of me flipped his cigarette out the window hitting me on the chest with a burning butt. I delivered it back to him at the next traffic light. He laughed, so I tossed it into the back seat of his car. He started to get out...threatening bodily harm. I took the pliers out of my pocket and pulled the valve stem from his front tire and rode off. Now he has a story to tell his friends.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTry being a cyclist. Every lazy, unhealthy, impatient a-hole who thinks his time is more important than your life singles you out and toys with your life. I ride with two sheets of 6/4 titanium wrapped around the underside of my forarms, held on with leather straps, a lock on the end of 24 inches of heavy chain, and a colt .45. Once a week at least, I have to commit an act of extreme violence upon someone or their car to avoid death. It's just a bad situation getting worse with overpopulation and everyones increasing laziness and pride. I have no sympathy.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf you drive in the right lane, isn't it up to you to merdge? In most cases, doesn't the right lane merdge into the left? Making you the person who should speed up/slow down?
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No, but if I saw some enraged asshole coming at me with a golf club, he'd probably be a candidate for a couple of rounds of .40. I don't road rage, but I am positively going to defend myself against attack by some asshat who can't control himself. I am a patient and courteous driver, I drive a small car and it seems that many people here want to measure 'right to be on the road' by size. I don't rage, and will generally allow the idiots to have their way. Ragers probably should take into consideration that there are a lot of us out here who, while not belligerent, are well insured and well armed. Assault is assault. Vehicular assault can be classified as assault with a deadly weapon. Assault with a deadly weapon is grounds for use of deadly force in self defense. Go ahead, cut me off, weave around, take the right of way, it's yours. But, be aware, if you decide that I am just a little too much in your way and you suddenly feel the need to do me physical violence, you are very likely to get shot... several times... and I practice a lot. Road ragers make themselves no different than the home invader, mugger or rapist. They victimize the innocent with violence. They need to be aware that there are those of us who refuse to be victimized and will respond.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOh, and to gdavis314, right, the people who "cause" road rage... like women who "ask for" rape? Or people who walk down the street looking all money having and just "ask for" a good mugging. "Cause road rage?" There are, of course poor drivers out there, always will be, but we just have to make allowances for them. Drive defensively, carefully, watchfully. The only thing that "causes" road rage is assholes who have no self control.
A guy who apparently thought I had wronged him somehow (I had never seen him before) at a stop light (he was behind me). He got out, came back to my driver side, spit on the window and tried to pulled me out. Unfortunately for him, I have a skill set that prepared me for almost anything and when I had seen him storming towards my truck I had undone my seat belt. When he opened my truck door I kicked him in the chest as I spun in my seat, he fell and hit a sign in the median. He did not see that coming. The light turned green and I drive off as he gasped for air laying in the median.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGood lord! Are we all ready to kill and be killed over driving?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisagenthucky - You are 100% correct in your assessment. I was referring (and not very well) to being the guy in the right lane(not the merge lane) and the other person in the merge lane, with the left most lane open.
Anybody have any thoughts on that? I promise I won't blog-rage! :-)
You carry guns ? You guys really carry guns ? Why not bombs or swords too ? You have no idea how completely INSANE you are.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat kind of country is one where it's citizens carry guns 'just in case' - sane people don't live where they need ( or think they do ) to do that.
A wall should be built around you. Unbelievable.
Bloop... Gee, been to the freaking EARTH lately? Where do you live, Middle Earth, OZ? There are 6.5 billion people here and about 5.9 billion of them would giggle about your intestines coming out of your nose. Are you simply not paying attention? Evidently, "sane" people just bleat their way to slaughter. We are talking here about people who would attempt to harm or kill you because you are not exceeding the posted speed limit by a number that suits their current sense of urgency to get to the Burger King. If "sane" requires that they simply be allowed to endanger me, my family, you and yours, then I'll pass on your definition of "sane."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYour remarks are indicative of someone who lives in a very sheltered and insulated place. In your "sane" world, we probably wouldn't need prisons either, because no "SANE" person would EVER commit a crime.
Get real.
Not kill or be killed over driving. As I said, cut me off, get where you're going, I really don't care what kind of hurry you're in. Go, dude, go. But, when someone decides that I should be the recipient of a violent attack, then should I not defend myself? Would you, in some fog of pacifist indignation, allow yourself or your family to be harmed by some road rage crazed jackass? Really? I wouldn't.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI live in Canada, we just beat each other with our fists and nearby objects. We don't pack guns. You seem to be unaware that most places people DON'T carry fire arms, 'just in case.'
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"...we just beat each other with our fists and nearby objects." Ah, civilization in other words. So when's the last time you were hit with, say, a golf club? The right hit with that "nearby object" would kill you much quicker than a gunshot wound. I fail to see your distinction. Beating someone with your bare hands or with some found weapon is somehow less violent than using a gun? What is it about "gun" that makes the pacifists go brainless? Your "you guys really carry guns" response only indicates that you are hopelessly out of touch with reality. I am licensed and legal. The only person ever likely to even know that I am armed is someone who is intending to do me bodily harm. Your righteous indignation nerve wouldn't have even twitched if I hadn't used the word "gun." If I had said that I would beat with a tire iron someone who attacked me in a fit of rage, you would likely have never responded. Violence is violence, my friend, let us not be hypocritical about it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe problem is esclation and for some men the machismo. I generaly don't have ap roblem with road rage but as a young person I would be irratated if some one drove disrespectfuly. I used to drive a old conservative sedan maily so I didn't have to play games with people but in every group there are what I call special persons out there who try and test people and to getthem to blow. I think road rage is systom with a cause . It is up to a person to decide is it worth a response is it worth a risk. some people will literaly kill thmeselves and other recklessly disregard the safty of others to do what they feel like doing. The only answer to this is technology is improving and thier days arew numbered most citizens know the risks and that is why drivers drive with in the bounds. for the remainder they will screw up and lawenforcement has a nice cosy cell for them . I only hope they will catch them before they do some serious harm.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI do want to add a oot note on the road rage.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAbout 20 years a I was driving throught west oakland ca. There was a power failure and so all the traffice light were not working at all. In a situation like this all the drivers who come into the intersection should stop and the rules of a 4 way stop applie . simple right? No instead there was a fistfight going on in the middle of there intersection. I guess they were deciding as to who should have the right of way . Needless to say I did the problem thing and left the intersection.
Agreed, for the most part. The problem is that for those of us who do not feel the need to attack others for stupid reasons, the law enforcement is typically around to clean up the pieces of me and my family who might fall victim to one of these primitives who must pound their chests and attack that which strays into their privileged path. Unless, of course, we choose to not allow it to happen in the first place. We have for some reason gotten the idea in this world that we have the unalienable right to NOT be inconvenienced, and that we have the right to do violence to anyone who dares cause said inconvenience. We are evolving backwards. We are becoming more primitive and animalistic. It's perplexing. I don't have a problem with people who want to kill themselves to do what they want to do is fine. Makes for entertaining anecdotes! As long as they leave me and mine out of their little death pact. All I'm saying is that I never initiate violence toward another person, I would ask the same consideration from others. I will, however, defend my sanctity and safety. The sociopaths who feel otherwise should carry around the fear that there are people like me who will not be willing victims. Maybe then, we the meek, truly will be able inherit the earth, and I can leave my oh-so-evil gun at home for good.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI live in a large city, where no one is coming after me with a gun, or a golf club, or a frozen fish. It's just not happening. Violence happens, but it's mosly those drug dealers at 3:00 in the morning downtown. Nobody thinks, " I'm going to pick my wife up from work, and traffic is going to be heavy, so I better take the rifle instead of the colt."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou are mistaken to assume that if I don't think we should all be packing guns I'm a simpering pacifist. And packing guns on the street is illegal here.
I'd carry one if I HAD TOO, but I don't. I'm glad I live in an environment where I don't have to. That's the rub of it - there are real places where people don't behave like this.
Agreed Bloop, and this is why I can't wait to move to Canada, seriously, where I no longer have to live like mad max just to lead a clean, healthy, constructive, responsible life.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOf course not. You respond as if it is just unconscionable that anyone would dare ever touch a horrible gun. And, why should pacifists have to be "simpering?" I consider myself a pacifist in a lot of ways. Peace is the best of all conditions. I don't recall ever simpering about anything. So, because, carrying guns is illegal in Canada, no one ever falls victim to violence? Right? Crime is not a problem in Canada? Come on. You can easily SAY this, but I know that it isn't true. I live in a large city where no one is coming after me with a gun or a golf club too! How about that. YOU are mistaken to assume that I think we should all be packing guns. No, that same group of sociopaths who shouldn't be behind the wheel of a vehicle shouldn't be packing guns either. I congratulate you on your ability to feel utterly safe and unthreatened, good for you. I also have little doubt that you could check your local newspaper and find a few people who might feel otherwise due to the violent behavior of one of your fellows. I'm not here to argue the relative merits of Canada versus the U.S. What were we talking about? Road rage? Yeah, if some bonehead came at me at a stoplight, and I was without a firearm, I surely would find another way to incapacitate him. It is much more convenient to simply shoot the freaking animal and get on with my life. World is better off without that kind of person anyway. You feel this is wrong? That my willingness to defend myself somehow makes me 'just as bad?" Well, it doesn't. I love and care and help, the fact that I refuse to be a victim, doesn't make me less loving, caring or helpful. I will admit my error, the discussion left its track when I used the "g" word. Sorry, at that point the blinders went on. I honestly couldn't care less what you think of my possession of a... one of those... I too am glad that I live in a place where I generally feel safe, yee ha! I also am very glad to live in a place where I have the right to defend myself and those I care about in the, how ever unlikely, event that I and they are put into danger by someone's stupid behavior. But, hey, yay, Canada!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCouldn't agree more Bloop. I spent two years in Iraq in the USAF, and I'll tell ya, after that, I don't like civilians brandishing guns either. It doesn't make you a wuss, it simply makes you a part of progress. However, I've been assaulted by overgrown apes with motor vehicles and beer bottles more times than I can count, and I'd be dead dozens of times over if I didn't put the fear of a padlock mace and My Little Pony in em.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThat's why I sincerely look forward to moving to Canada, where I can lay down my arms and won't have to live like Mad Max among a bunch of over-hyped, amped-out, ultra-aggressive Americans so completely obsessed with "more better faster bigger now", to the detriment of everyone and everything around them.
Pack too many rats in a cage, and it's not long before they're all clawing each others eyes out.
Your driving skills are so poor. First, setting the cruise control to the exact limit on the sign is ridiculous. You really should be going with the speed of traffic, even if that's 10 mph over the limit. You're an accident waiting to happen if you don't. And while it's up to others to yield to highway traffic when merging, changing to the middle lane from the right when it's completely open and someone is merging tends to be recommended in Driver's Ed and your state's driving manuals, not only for courtesy, but just because someone is SUPPOSED to yield does not mean they WILL. We do not live in the ideal world, we have to live and react to reality as it IS. This sometimes means yielding the right of way to someone who is driving like an idiot.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisReally, your thinking you're doing the 'right' thing just might be the thing that gets you killed in a highway accident. I really recommend doing some research on defensive driving and highway driving, because you're not helping yourself with your current habits. Plus your thought process of how everyone else is wrong and you are right is unhealthy and I'm sure it carries over into every other aspect of your life. Remember, you're not the only one on the road.
I lived in Bangkok for seven years; worst traffic imaginable but did you ever see any road rage? Never. Not once.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe original article completely overlooked the anthropological angle.
Lol Road Rage is the best i love when im mad at someone to go on the road and just attempt to make people mad its just so fun i do it all the TIME!! anybody else its also fun to swirve at cars YAH LETs ALL do it!!!
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