- Joined
- Oct 11, 2015
- Messages
- 143
Hey guys, this happened to me today and I would like to get your opinions and advice on how to handle this in the future.
Here's what happened:
Context:
I went to University to study. Officially it's closed, but with our student cards we can enter nonetheless. I have two overlapping social circles there: one, the 'core' group, but they are recently rarely there. The second consists of others I know as well, but not so deeply. In fact, the main reason we're there is because a girl from the core group got together with one from the other, and hence the overlap. Over the last semester I've befriended most of them, and we study together and go eat lunch.
Here's where it begins. There is an older guy in the other group who is already past 30. He's not there so often, but with each other they meet often and have zoom calls.
Yes, he's the guy I almost fight with.
Situation:
He arrives in the late morning. He sees me sitting where apparently he likes to sit, and says jokingly: "Hey, that's my spot!" I take it as a joke.
But eventually, when he makes his coffee, he insists again. "It's my spot, man. Go find another one." I just laugh and shake my head. Everything is still in good humour.
You see where this is going. He starts insisting, trying to make me go away. He's getting more demanding, and I start pushing back.
Very soon it devolves into us standing face-to-face with him demanding "That's enough. Now take your stuff and go somewhere else." He's tooling me! Wtf!
The entire thing escalates with me essentially improvising a defense. It could have been far better: I go for points of respect, principle (hell no I'll back off now!), reduce reason ("It's just a seat, dude?") and offering a way to back off ("I'm staying here either way, but you can have it after lunch for the afternoon.")
Yes. I was a weak bitch trying to use logic.
One thing I did do was use slow, deliberate gestures and piercing eye contact. My voice was deeper and more purry and gutteral than his is.
Either way, he continues insisting, at some point openly admitting it's a cockfight. It continues to escalate (I make blunders like saying: "I'm this close to..." without the real intention to follow it up). I put my arm on his shoulder and he immediately threatens I should not touch him, or else... and at one point he half slap/punches me. I push back immediately, and the standoff continues until he starts physically putting away my stuff.
Here I make the huge mistake of not stopping him immediately physically. This should've been my bottom line, and if he wants to fight, SO BE IT.
He threatens physical action, saying "I don't want to go there," and indeed I am unsure if I should fight. I've never been in a fight before, although I did take Karate lessons for 1.5 years and have some mean kicks.
Here I notice my body language is sub optimal. I have my hands in front of me while he has them by his side of held wide.
Upon thinking about this, I wonder if I should have done the same. Hold my arms wide and get close. This is very dominant body language, because it shows confidence in the other not having the balls to attack.
He did convey well the threat of a punch, so his tactic worked it seems. Interesting.
In the end it was over when he moved around my stuff. I maintain grace with strong body language, but can't deny my surging emotions and sheer baffle at what just happened.
I keep my tone level. "I really learned something today. I never would've imagined." My stuff is packed, and I fistbump the other two guys who are watching this all in complete shock.
I take my leave. No way in hell will I move to another seat - I'd rather go somewhere else entirely.
ANALYSIS
This all took me completely by surprise, but there are still important things to learn:
-He tooled my very effectively. I did not react in the most powerful way. You'll notice I wrote down quite specific things he did - it's because I fully intend to learn from it and be able to apply them myself, if needed.
-The power of aggression: STRENGTH BEATS LOGIC. Don't try to win this with logic. Use persuasion, social pressure, and physical intimidation (body language) to win. Logic is reserved for the beginning where the attempt is to deescalate. After that, the more unreasonable, the more powerful. I realized this too late.
-Don't be afraid of things getting physical. Sure, I might get beat up, but that is pretty much the worst thing that could happen (barring falling on the table edge and dying - haha oops).
I'm sure I'd give as good as I got, so if nothing else, in this 'safer' environment, defend my pride! Bruises heal, and it might be a good learning experience. And life experience.
-Show strength, then give him an opportunity to back off. This ties into the above point of crazy being better. Here's a possible scenario:
Use logic to deescalate while things are still 'social'. But once I notice his cockfight mentality, go all in and be even more unreasonable than him. I'd rather lose in a fight than get tooled like this again...
Escalate faster than him and thus have control. Make him think I will seriously fight him - which I will if he makes me - and then offer way out ("You can sit here in the afternoon. But you're in charge of moving everything.") Or something along those lines.
So maybe:
This is all my conjecture. I'd love to hear your thoughts and stories
Because all in all, this was a very humiliating experience and I am furious at not having known how to handle it.
I'm actually very embarrassed to post this. It is already a fact that I will read this in the future and be spitting out in disgust at my weakness. But it caught me so unprepared! First time in my life something like this happens.
Again, any advice is incredibly appreciated!
-Alex
Here's what happened:
Context:
I went to University to study. Officially it's closed, but with our student cards we can enter nonetheless. I have two overlapping social circles there: one, the 'core' group, but they are recently rarely there. The second consists of others I know as well, but not so deeply. In fact, the main reason we're there is because a girl from the core group got together with one from the other, and hence the overlap. Over the last semester I've befriended most of them, and we study together and go eat lunch.
Here's where it begins. There is an older guy in the other group who is already past 30. He's not there so often, but with each other they meet often and have zoom calls.
Yes, he's the guy I almost fight with.
Situation:
He arrives in the late morning. He sees me sitting where apparently he likes to sit, and says jokingly: "Hey, that's my spot!" I take it as a joke.
But eventually, when he makes his coffee, he insists again. "It's my spot, man. Go find another one." I just laugh and shake my head. Everything is still in good humour.
You see where this is going. He starts insisting, trying to make me go away. He's getting more demanding, and I start pushing back.
Very soon it devolves into us standing face-to-face with him demanding "That's enough. Now take your stuff and go somewhere else." He's tooling me! Wtf!
The entire thing escalates with me essentially improvising a defense. It could have been far better: I go for points of respect, principle (hell no I'll back off now!), reduce reason ("It's just a seat, dude?") and offering a way to back off ("I'm staying here either way, but you can have it after lunch for the afternoon.")
Yes. I was a weak bitch trying to use logic.
One thing I did do was use slow, deliberate gestures and piercing eye contact. My voice was deeper and more purry and gutteral than his is.
Either way, he continues insisting, at some point openly admitting it's a cockfight. It continues to escalate (I make blunders like saying: "I'm this close to..." without the real intention to follow it up). I put my arm on his shoulder and he immediately threatens I should not touch him, or else... and at one point he half slap/punches me. I push back immediately, and the standoff continues until he starts physically putting away my stuff.
Here I make the huge mistake of not stopping him immediately physically. This should've been my bottom line, and if he wants to fight, SO BE IT.
He threatens physical action, saying "I don't want to go there," and indeed I am unsure if I should fight. I've never been in a fight before, although I did take Karate lessons for 1.5 years and have some mean kicks.
Here I notice my body language is sub optimal. I have my hands in front of me while he has them by his side of held wide.
Upon thinking about this, I wonder if I should have done the same. Hold my arms wide and get close. This is very dominant body language, because it shows confidence in the other not having the balls to attack.
He did convey well the threat of a punch, so his tactic worked it seems. Interesting.
In the end it was over when he moved around my stuff. I maintain grace with strong body language, but can't deny my surging emotions and sheer baffle at what just happened.
I keep my tone level. "I really learned something today. I never would've imagined." My stuff is packed, and I fistbump the other two guys who are watching this all in complete shock.
I take my leave. No way in hell will I move to another seat - I'd rather go somewhere else entirely.
ANALYSIS
This all took me completely by surprise, but there are still important things to learn:
-He tooled my very effectively. I did not react in the most powerful way. You'll notice I wrote down quite specific things he did - it's because I fully intend to learn from it and be able to apply them myself, if needed.
-The power of aggression: STRENGTH BEATS LOGIC. Don't try to win this with logic. Use persuasion, social pressure, and physical intimidation (body language) to win. Logic is reserved for the beginning where the attempt is to deescalate. After that, the more unreasonable, the more powerful. I realized this too late.
-Don't be afraid of things getting physical. Sure, I might get beat up, but that is pretty much the worst thing that could happen (barring falling on the table edge and dying - haha oops).
I'm sure I'd give as good as I got, so if nothing else, in this 'safer' environment, defend my pride! Bruises heal, and it might be a good learning experience. And life experience.
-Show strength, then give him an opportunity to back off. This ties into the above point of crazy being better. Here's a possible scenario:
Use logic to deescalate while things are still 'social'. But once I notice his cockfight mentality, go all in and be even more unreasonable than him. I'd rather lose in a fight than get tooled like this again...
Escalate faster than him and thus have control. Make him think I will seriously fight him - which I will if he makes me - and then offer way out ("You can sit here in the afternoon. But you're in charge of moving everything.") Or something along those lines.
So maybe:
Him: Asking me to switch places
Me: Gives him haha buddy but no thanks answer.
Him: Gets more insistent. Not social anymore
Me: Realizes his intention and calling him out on it: "Hey man, you're being weird. This is not about the seat. What is it you're after?"
Him: Blah blah I want my seat. Give it to me!
Me: "No, this is not about the seat. You want to have a fight for this seat?" Gets close, aggressive, dominant body language. Confident smile on my face "Because I don't mind. This is great! So I'll just stand right here. What will you do?" Keeps smile, arms held wide open. Perhaps even take a step back, and proclaim loudly: "Here I am! Innocent witnesses close their eyes! Mr here is going to show us his next trick!" Then wait a few moments, and offer way out. "Haha all jokes aside, if its so important to you, you can sit there in the afternoon."
Him: Probably continues saying I should go and change seats now.
Me: "Ok, whatever man." Sits down, puts on headphones, turns around and ignore him.
If he continued, I'd take a single earpiece out, and go "what, dude? I'm trying to work here," and if he continues just give him weird skeptical look and turn back around and ignore. If he tries to touch me I'd slap him away, saying "No touching without paying!" or something similar. Or take a hard stance. To not back down he'd have to almost escalate directly to a fight, which he'd have... but I'd be the one looking dominant all along.
Me: Gives him haha buddy but no thanks answer.
Him: Gets more insistent. Not social anymore
Me: Realizes his intention and calling him out on it: "Hey man, you're being weird. This is not about the seat. What is it you're after?"
Him: Blah blah I want my seat. Give it to me!
Me: "No, this is not about the seat. You want to have a fight for this seat?" Gets close, aggressive, dominant body language. Confident smile on my face "Because I don't mind. This is great! So I'll just stand right here. What will you do?" Keeps smile, arms held wide open. Perhaps even take a step back, and proclaim loudly: "Here I am! Innocent witnesses close their eyes! Mr here is going to show us his next trick!" Then wait a few moments, and offer way out. "Haha all jokes aside, if its so important to you, you can sit there in the afternoon."
Him: Probably continues saying I should go and change seats now.
Me: "Ok, whatever man." Sits down, puts on headphones, turns around and ignore him.
If he continued, I'd take a single earpiece out, and go "what, dude? I'm trying to work here," and if he continues just give him weird skeptical look and turn back around and ignore. If he tries to touch me I'd slap him away, saying "No touching without paying!" or something similar. Or take a hard stance. To not back down he'd have to almost escalate directly to a fight, which he'd have... but I'd be the one looking dominant all along.
This is all my conjecture. I'd love to hear your thoughts and stories
Because all in all, this was a very humiliating experience and I am furious at not having known how to handle it.
As I stared into the mirror after I had left, in some isolated bathroom, I grappled with emotions. Feeling the disgust, anger and confusion left my mind a mess.
But as I raised my head and stared at my reflection, all I could see was determination and resolve in my eyes. Never again, I swore silently in the small mosaic bathroom. I broke into a smile. Such humiliation... only steels my resolve and teaches me another lesson in life.
I think back to what @Chase mentioned somewhere about martial arts. You don't need it... until you do. Then it's all you need. The words rung through my head, bouncing back and forth, until it was all I could see. Every time I lack resolve to hit the gym or want to restart martial arts... I'll think back of this moment.. and I want to see what on earth can keep me down.
But as I raised my head and stared at my reflection, all I could see was determination and resolve in my eyes. Never again, I swore silently in the small mosaic bathroom. I broke into a smile. Such humiliation... only steels my resolve and teaches me another lesson in life.
I think back to what @Chase mentioned somewhere about martial arts. You don't need it... until you do. Then it's all you need. The words rung through my head, bouncing back and forth, until it was all I could see. Every time I lack resolve to hit the gym or want to restart martial arts... I'll think back of this moment.. and I want to see what on earth can keep me down.
I'm actually very embarrassed to post this. It is already a fact that I will read this in the future and be spitting out in disgust at my weakness. But it caught me so unprepared! First time in my life something like this happens.
Again, any advice is incredibly appreciated!
-Alex