Who Is My Enemy?

A friend on social media once posted the question: Who is your enemy?

One tongue-in-cheek answer that stood out was the individual who responded: “Every other driver on the road.”

After I stopped laughing, I had to admit that there’s a lot of truth in that response.

Road rage is a common occurrence in our culture.

Even the slightest mistake or misjudgment in traffic can spark a shocking degree of anger in certain motorists who are wound up tighter than a watch spring.

What once would have resulted in a blaring horn and a raised middle finger can quickly escalate into deadly overreaction that ruins the lives of everyone involved.

What is it that can cause us to suspend our humanity and risk legal and moral consequences that last a lifetime?

It comes down to how we choose to see others.

As the Arbinger Institute puts it:

“When we see people as objects, we don't think they matter like we matter. We're focused only on ourselves and all the things we need to get done.”

This particular form of self-deception can take place in almost any setting but it’s especially easy to fall into when we’re sealed inside our own four-wheeled fortress.

 We cannot forget that others have their own needs, challenges and objectives, just like us.

If the person we are behind the wheel is the person we really are, we’d be wise to spend some time examining our own hearts and adjusting our course as necessary.

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