What Kind of Driver Should I Be?
Statement
I should drive aggressively so that I am not taken advantage of.
Q1 Analysis
If you believe that taking advantage of others is wrong, then this is a Q1 violation if your aggressive driving takes advantage of those who do not drive aggressively.
Q2 Analysis
If you don’t like it when others drive aggressively, this is a Q2 violation.
Discussion
This is one of the few common beliefs that almost always fails both elements of 2Q. Aggressive driving often includes such practices as assuming others will get out of your way when you change lanes, not using turn signals, jumping green lights, accelerating through yellow lights, passing on the right, not completely stopping at stop signs, tailgating, etc. It is a rare person who practices any of these and does not also become irritated at other drivers who practice them.
Some drivers become irritated when other drivers do not drive aggressively. For example, they tailgate and will honk at a car in front of them in traffic if that car is maintaining a reasonable distance between itself and the car in front if it. These drivers are likely Q1 violators in that they would probably say that safe driving is a virtue, and Q2 violators in that they would hold responsible a driver whose car rear ended theirs because it was tailgating.
Which of these practices do you think would pass 2Q?
- Driving at precisely the speed limit in the fast lane, even though cars behind you clearly want to pass.
- Driving while talking on a cell phone.
- Driving while texting.
- Driving while having a passionate argument with a passenger.
- Driving while having a passionate argument on a cell phone.
- Driving with a movie playing on a portable DVD player on your dashboard.
- Driving when you know one of your turn signals is broken.
- Driving with three rambunctious kids in the back seat.
- Cutting blind corners on a curvy street because it helps you maintain control at high speeds and you know nobody else would be out at this time of night.
- Driving at normal speed in a heavy rain because you know your SUV can take it.
- Driving through a flooded intersection because you know your SUV can take it.
- Yelling at the driver of a small car because he was in your blind spot when you tried to change lanes and now the paint on your SUV is scratched.
- Parking across two parking spaces so nobody can park near enough to risk scratching your car’s paint.
- Drifting over in your lane a bit so that the motorcycler behind you can’t drive between cars and get through the traffic you’re stuck in.
- Stopping in an intersection, turning on your emergency lights, and running to help someone who was in an accident.
- Taking an extra minute to make sure your car is out of traffic before running to help someone who was in an accident.
- Stopping quickly to startle a driver who’s tailgating you.
- Driving the speed limit only because there is a police car near by.
You are encouraged to leave your answers to the questions posed in this post in the comments section. This post is based on an excerpt from Ask Yourself to be Moral, by D. Cancilla, available at LuLu.com and Amazon.com. See the 2Q system page for details of the philosophical system mentioned in this post.
on June 3, 2010 at 5:46 am
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I think the problem is not about being aggressive, but externalizing frustration and anxiety. “Aggressive” drivers tend to think that other drivers are personally trying to screw them over.
Instead of: I should drive aggressively so that I am not taken advantage of.
I think it should be:
Drivers should drive to my standards and should believe in my concept of fairness. People should live by my rules.
Q1 – If I believe taking of advantage of others is wrong then Q1 is a violation if:
I break my own set of standards to take advantage of others – people should give me a break for violating my rules this time because of my own personal needs.
Example: I need to get my child to school on time. So, I drive down the left turn lane then cut in front of a line of drivers. It’s okay to do this because it was a personal need.
Q2 – I should have compassion for those who need to break my rules in an emergency. This is a violation of Q2 if I get mad or punish someone who is breaking my standards.
Example: I’m on the freeway. I can see the car beside me has a sick child. The car is trying to cut in front of me to get off at an exit to a hospital. I block the car because cutting in line is a violation of my standards.
Emotions I place on other drivers actions:
Talking on cell phone or texting:
Externalization – I’m smarter and better than she is. She is putting me in danger. She is purposely trying to harm me.
Internalization – I don’t know who’s she talking to or what it’s about. Maybe she’s talking to her doctor. I should be extra careful until she gets off the phone.
I design slot machines and have delved quite a bit in behaviorism – just getting into cognitive existentialism.
I’m going to purchase, Ask Yourself to be Moral, by D. Cancilla. Thanks for the post.