Karmastic
Posts: 1650
Joined: 4/5/2012
From: Los Angeles
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: JeffBC
quote:
ORIGINAL: Karmastic
Society therefore sees a lack of bluster and bravado as weakness.
At least from my own life experience I just cannot get behind this statement. I've spent much of my career dressing and doing silly stuff to "keep my sharp pointy fangs well hidden". I've never been the bluster and bravado type... that would've just caused even more problems. And, when I get my hackles up, I'm one of those folks that get's calm and quiet rather than loud and blustery. I bet once I was really onto my stride... say age 30 and beyond, no more than 2 people have seen that as anything other than "incredibly dangerous". I also know when I've seen this in other people and at least in my impression it's rather unmistakable. There's this moment when you can see it clearly in someone else's eyes... "you've crossed a boundary and that boundary WILL be enforced". Only fools go past that line without the intent to take it all the way to the mat one way or the other.
My own opinion is that anyone can swagger and bluster on the internet. But in the real world, actual energy and body language and tone of voice wins virtually all the time. In the real world, we know who's dominant and who's not in any given encounter by who wins... no debates needed. Lately, my armchair philosophizing has gone like this: Humans are, hands down, the most dangerous species on the planet -- by leaps and bounds. It makes sense that we are particularly sensitive to the undercurrents... like... say... "I wonder if that guy is going to rip my throat out?" Given our threat level, that'd be a perfectly reasonable signal to be both sent and received clearly from an evolutionary standpoint. Heh... the less perceptive would be strongly selected against.
And again, I think are referring to social dominance here -- that nebulous "alpha" thing that nobody can define but we all know when it happens. I think sexual dominance could easily go hidden entirely until a sexual moment allowed it to shine through. Most of us are civilized enough to "keep it in our pants" in inappropriate moments.
quote:
e I just cannot ge
All very well said (and written), and I agree, as said. Reminds me of walking like you're not a victim - that's quiet power. But if one is confronted, the look in their eyes is just another type of slightly louder body language power that says, hey, you're crossing a boundary.
Me: "Society therefore sees a lack of bluster and bravado as weakness"
I was thinking more along the lines of what peacock gets the prize (poor metaphor, or is that an analogy?). Gaining ground, taking things, intimidating, akin to being successful imperialistic empires, but on a personal level. Bluster and bravado are successful models that nations & insecure people do follow to achieve that, because it works for them. I'm sure they cause a lot of damage on many levels, but that's another thread.
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RE: My definition of "quiet" power - 
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