| Miami was voted the city with the worst road | | | | |
| rage in America in 2007, which would make it | | | | It's not like we haven't had violence for the |
| the most roadragious (did I just make a word | | | | past few thousand years. Life three hundred |
| up?) It lead one comedian to joke that it's | | | | years ago was still permeated with wars, |
| because people aged 20 are doing 95 and | | | | murders, hangings and the like, but it's our |
| people aged 95 are doing 20. | | | | overall level of politeness that has dropped. |
| | | | Declining courtesy in New Zealand rarely |
| But that's probably just one of the causes, | | | | rates as news like it would in, for example, |
| most of which are a result of our | | | | Singapore where a minor altercation between a |
| technology-infused, hyperactive lives | | | | student and bus driver can be major news. |
| exacerbating our inadequate ability to | | | | |
| control our emotions. After all, humans have | | | | Unfortunately, I feel that therapists are not |
| always got angry over trivial things - other | | | | the cure either as they often circumvent the |
| people's religions, the neighbour's dog | | | | human mind's ability to deal with things |
| poohing where it shouldn't, and their sports | | | | itself by prolonging (and deepening) people's |
| teams losing. | | | | thoughts about it. Which leaves us to deal |
| | | | with the issues ourselves. Some people listen |
| Back in April, New Scientist magazine wrote | | | | to classical music, others cry when they get |
| about what the electronic age is doing to our | | | | home, but I've always found a good blast |
| brains. To summarise their article, | | | | through the countryside very cathartic. |
| scientists have found that playing violent | | | | Consider this: your car is the only form of |
| video games and watching violence on TV | | | | enclosed transport in which you can enjoy the |
| desensitises us to it, and separates the | | | | emissions of your own digestion without |
| consequences of it from us. You can kill | | | | offending others. So when the next person |
| multiple people, steal cars, blow things up | | | | cuts you off, release one into the |
| and cause mayhem, with the only result being | | | | atmosphere, breathe deeply and thank the gods |
| a fatty heart and aching thumbs. | | | | you're not in a crowded bus. |