Why are some people so addicted to control?
“Stop right there, Cerebro!” Ordered the superhero as he soared at breakneck speeds towards the diabolical criminal.
But before the hero’s fist was able to collide with the quivering jaw of the fleeing villain, a young innocent bystander leapt haphazardly in the way. The superhero was instantly taken back and lowered his fist just in time to catch the young lady; instead of accidentally striking her.
As he gently lowered the dazed young woman safely onto the sidewalk, the wily criminal flashed a menacing grin. His silver coke-bottle glasses reflected the bright afternoon sun. And the glass plasma helmet that covered his receding hairline flickered and sparked angrily as it scoped and scanned for more nearby pedestrians to control.
As the hero reached up to his eye piece to activate his heat ray, the gangly criminal defiantly shook his index finger back and forth; signaling for the superhero to reconsider his next move. For in that very moment, Cerebro’s helmet had enchanted a couple of nearby school children to form a ring around him. And they danced absent-mindedly about.
“Cerebro! Leave the children out of this!” shouted the anguished superhero as he reluctantly lowered his hand from his ruby-quartz visor. Before he was able to finish his sentence, he was unsuspectedly ambushed from behind by a big beefy hot dog vendor. By the time he was able to roll the colossal man off of his back, the supervillain had already slipped away.
Over and over again, this shifty mastermind evaded each and every superhero that came searching for him. As a result, all the exasperated superheroes spent endless hours complaining of not being able to use their powers in fear of hurting any nearby bystanders.
But one day, a small timid secretary spoke up and volunteered herself to apprehend this criminal. All the superheroes scoffed in disbelief, for she had no superpowers. But when she confronted the villain, she didn’t need them. For she disarmed him simply by speaking to him with kindness and respect.
In the end, the people who are most aggressively trying to control other people are the ones who may be most desperate to find and secure some semblance of self-respect.
