I learned something in my English IV class a few days ago that I think is very interesting and should be shared to you all, a little something called the Elephant and the Rider.

To explain:

Our mental state is divided into two parts: the conscious, and the subconscious. The conscious is you: what you decide to do in every situation. The subconscious is your instinct: what you don't even know you decide to do in every situation. You may think that, at first, both are the same in terms of what you actually do, but as it turns out, your subconscious is much stronger than you may think.

Think of it like an elephant and a rider. Your subconscious is the elephant in this situation: relatively stupid compared to the rider, but still capable of making fast decisions. However, there is a difference. The rider - your consciousness - thinks it's in control, when in reality, the elephant can do whatever the heck it wants.

Think of a dispute between two stupid people... loud, repetitive, hard to follow. An argument. Now think of a dispute between two smart people... quiet, collected, and taking into account each other's points of view. A disagreement. Now, go back to the comparison between the elephant and the rider. The argument can be seen as the two riders talking to eachother. In contrast, however, the disagreement can be seen as one rider talking to the other's elephant.

But how, you may ask, does one talk to the imaginary elephant and not the not-so-imaginary person riding it? You simply talk to the person riding it, but calmly, collectively, and taking into account the other side's point of view.

When shouting at someone, like you do in an argument, you appear scary and hostile to the elephant. The elephant digs in its heels, rears back, and closes itself in so as to defend itself. If a giant, slobbering bear was charging and roaring at you, but then suddenly started calling it a prank, you'd still be running for your life.

When calmly talking to someone, like you do in an educated disagreement, you appear accepting, orderly, and ready to listen, some might even call it parental. The elephant quivers a little, then lowers its head so you can caress it. You might be more accepting of a clean, happy dog taking a calm stroll up to you, sitting at your feet, and asking, "Human, do you have a ball for me to chase?". Sure, it might still be weird, but you throw the ball regardless.

Now, apply this to the real world. When Feminism was first created, they knew how to get their point across. Unlike their, by comparison, barbaric enemies, they knew how to talk to the elephant. However, nowadays, only their best leaders can talk to the elephant. We must respond in kind by learning what they have forgotten.

Next time you have a dispute with anyone - be it your lover, your child, your friend, your enemy, or even a complete stranger at a restaurant, try calmly and collectively talking to the elephant, even if at first, they try shouting at your rider. Notice how most "Public Freak-out" videos are recorded by the calmer person, and if they are recorded by the aggressive person, how much less you like them. You have no idea how much more the populace turns in your favor, whether they be a part of the conversation or not.