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Welcome to the September, 2001 issue of the Inner Brat Newsletter. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to email me at .
IN THIS ISSUE
>Inner Brats lay low after terrorist attack
>Inner brats in the news
>Inner brat tip of the month
>Distribution information
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Inner Brats lay low after terrorist attack
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Early on the morning of September 11 I was on the treadmill at the YMCA. The man on the adjacent machine was lamenting about the sensationalization of news these days. “Isn’t there anything better to report than the latest on Gary Condit or stories of roads in bad shape? Why do they keep reporting this?” he asked. I retorted wittingly (I thought): “Because we have no war or pestilence to worry about.”
That all changed an hour later when the World Trade Center was attacked. You’ve heard the reports and seen the images. This column is not about the disaster, but rather about its effect on all of us.
During the time of rescue and cleanup most people, except for a few anti-muslim fanatics, have been nicer to one another. They’ve been more tolerant. I’ve noticed that people in my town have been more patient in lines at the grocery store, post office and at traffic lights.
Not much road rage in the past few days. And despite the crowded airports and long lines at ticket counters in the last couple of days, I haven’t heard anything about air rage either. Even in Europe, where service to destinations other than the US has not been disrupted, there are no reports of air rage.
In the past several months airlines have been blamed for the escalating numbers of air rage incidents. Overbooking, cramped seating and unexpected delays were the culprit, said some critics. Senator Diane Feinstein of California blamed alcohol, and proposed a 2-drink maximum to be served to passengers.
But how do these critics explain passengers’ calm, non-complaining demeanor now? There is considerable uncertainty and delay, as well as crowding. But I bet we won’t be hearing stories of passengers who gripe about being inconvenienced or lose their temper, at least not for a little while.
This is because for now, people are keeping their inner brats under control. Considering the devastation that some individuals and families have recently suffered, it just doesn’t seem that important to complain about waiting an extra hour for a flight to take off, or having to check your carry-on bag because there is no more room in the overhead compartments. And if they’ve run out of chicken dinners, you’ll graciously take the beef.
Many people say that the terrorist attack has changed their lives forever. I would like to think that this means that people will stop whining and complaining, but if history is any indication, most will revert back to old patterns once the shock wears off and life resumes normal, mundane activities.
Will you be one of those people? Or, will you remind your inner brat that what it considers urgent at the moment is not really all that important in the grand scheme of things? Keep this in mind next time you feel irritated or inconvenienced.
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In my new book, “Taming Your Inner Brat: A Guide to Transforming Self-defeating Behavior”, you can learn more about the inner brat and how to control it. There are 3 ways to buy this book:
~Visit your local bookstore
~Order online from my web site, http://innerbrat.com, or click here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1582700508/drwallincom-20/107-8603571-8089358 (if this link doesn’t seem to work, highlight the whole link, including the part that wraps to the next line; then copy it and paste it to your browser URL window.)
~Order by telephone directly from the publisher toll-free: 800-284-9673
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Inner Brats in the news
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Believe it or not, the horror of the September 11 terrorist attack has spawned hundreds of hoaxes. Although most people have shown increased sensitivity and kindness to others, there are a few bratty ones who find amusement in alarming others who are already stressed to the limits. For example on a web site designed for people to share information about survivors, some immature and self-absorbed hoaxers posted the names of cartoon and comic book characters, celebrity names and joke names. Others posted names of missing people, claiming that they were found when in fact they were not.
Dozens of phony bomb threats have been phoned in all across the USA to airlines, hospitals, shopping malls, recreational areas and government buildings. Bomb threats have been made directly on planes themselves. And these haven’t been limited to the USA. Yesterday a 35-year old IBM employee from New Zealand emailed a bomb threat to Singapore Airlines from a computer at an airport lounge in Singapore.
To read more about brats in the news, visit my new “Brats in the News” section of my web site:
http://drwallin.com/news.shtml
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Inner Brat tip of the month
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Given that the past week has been very stressful, you might find yourself not finishing things, snapping back at family members or taking up smoking again. These are all symptoms of stress, but they can alternatively reflect inner brat behavior.
How do you tell the difference? If the behaviors are worse than usual, chances are that it’s the result of the situational stress. On the other hand, if they are ongoing and recurring problems, it may be your inner brat using the current situation as an excuse. This is particularly likely if you have not had much personal involvement with the recent tragedy and its aftermath.
Regardless of whether it is situational stress or your inner brat that is triggering problem behaviors, you can address both with a simple breathing technique: Inhale slowly to the count of 4, and exhale slowly to the count of 4. Do this 4 times. You will probably notice a definite reduction in your tension level.
For more on how to tame your inner brat, see Chapter 12 of my book, “Taming Your Inner Brat: A Guide to Transforming Self-defeating Behavior.”
Until next month,
Pauline Wallin, Ph.D.
http://www.innerbrat.com
