"There is a science called games theory that effectively divides the world into two camps: the blatant self-aggrandizers vs those who cooperate."

THOSE WHO COOPERATE... why DO we cooperate???

To answer your question regarding coping skills: is that not the only coping skill that works in this situation?  Cooperating?  Cooperation keeps the peace.  But why don't we buck the system a little every now and then?  We obviously do not like the outcome, so why is it so often repeated?

By cooperating, we are enabling, much like someone who aspires to quit smoking that "bums a smoke" from you, or a struggling alcoholic that wants to quit but begs money from you to buy a six-pack because his day was just "too much to handle sober."  We are the theoretical road-blocks that put a stop to this mental bullying.  We are the front-line cavalry and we have surrendered willingly to the "blatant self-aggrandizers."

Granted, too much opposition results in heated confrontations, aggravation, and more misery.  As mentioned in the comment above, reasoning has no place here because they are purposely illogical.  But simply resigning to it only promotes it.

It is said in the argument of Naturalism that "One simply cannot sit on the fence; one will certainly fall to one side or the other, and nine times out of ten one will fall on the wrong side. We may perceive gray, but our actions will conform either to the black or to the white, whether we perceive it or not. To not act is itself an action, one that often says, "I am not interested, and so I permit". To remain neutral in the war with Hitler is to say that one permits Hitler to do as he pleases. One may think "but neither do I support him", yet to remain neutral is to allow the atrocities to continue. Neutrality does not only permit, but it also obscures morality and dulls the already poor perception. It allows corruption to slip in without it ever having been noticed." (from http://sententiaesinuosae.tumblr.com/)

And so perhaps in merely ignoring their demands, words, or trite pleas for attention we have somehow "coped" with the immediate circumstance, but we have indefinitely perpetuated the problem, rather than dissolving it.

A better question, is then, in what ways do we tolerate A-holes?

When you figure out a way to cope, please let me know...  Until then, we are all just surviving, or as John put it, "cooperating" with the reign of the blatant self-aggrandizers.

Where is he that dares to challenge the laws of nature and change the course of history?  Where is he that dares to do rather than just dream?  Show me him and I will eagerly follow.

John McManamy, Health Guide

4/ 5/12 2:49pm

Hey, U8. Great observations, and thanks so much for bringing up games theory. I have been doing some research into this, and this would make a great series of posts in the near-future.