Alec Hogg: A way to stay sane in SA – stop cretins rent space in your head
Where I live, the fastest way to turn otherwise rational beings into raging lunatics is by mentioning taxis. Whether your audience are those forced to occupy what wags call "moving coffins"; or the more fortunate who merely share their roads, the response is similar: South Africans are disgusted by the HiAce steering species. They put local taxi drivers on a par with English rugby players in a World Cup final. Or worse.
Thankfully, I got to opt out of this national sport after heeding advice from a serene acquaintance. Mr Tranquility's secret – a refusal to allow anyone to rent his headspace. He worked this out in the wake of one too many railings against a pavement-driving taxi driver. After the fury, it dawned that his whole being had been consumed by the serial lawbreaker. But all it had warranted in return, was a casually flipped finger.
The principle of resisting headspace-rental can be widely applied. Think officious bureaucrats in Big Business (and Big Government) who get their kicks by applying their "rules are rules" dogma. Or drama queens who exaggerate for effect to support their own prejudices. Plus, of course, self-serving politicians – those overblown peddlers in headling-grabbing narratives designed to grab them the spotlight.
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