Have Road Anger? Think of Luigi
One day last week, I heard from a previous patient of mine named Jim, whom I had not seen for 15 years. I had long forgotten he was in one of my anger management classes. He called to refer someone else and told me he had always remembered my story about Luigi, which I had shared many years ago. He said it cured his road rage problem. I thought I’d now pass it on to you.
So, who is Luigi, and what does he have to do with road rage?
Luigi was a little Italian guy with a handlebar mustache who always wore a sauce-stained apron and a big smile. He owned an Italian restaurant and catering service. His motto was “We deliver hot and fresh.”
The problem was that he was the sole owner of his catering service, so he had to make deliveries himself. This meant he had to drive and keep his pasta sauce from spilling out of the pot—as he delivered the genuine homemade sauce to his customers.
How did he do it? It was simple. While driving, he put the pot brimming with hot pasta sauce between his legs.
He had to drive slowly to prevent spillage and damage to delicate body parts.
His dedication to his business was great for the customer. But bad for whoever was driving behind him.
So, what has this got to do with my road rage patient?
Well, whenever Jim felt the urge to be impatient and frustrated when following slow-moving traffic, he would imagine that it was Luigi in front of him driving so carefully and slowly with this pot of hot pasta sauce between his legs.
What happened to his anger when he did this? He said it melted away as a big smile crossed his face.
Professionally speaking, this technique is called “using humorous imagery” to diffuse anger. It’s like reducing stage fright by imagining everybody in the audience being naked and or seeing (in your head) your pouting or demanding partner as a small child with a pacifier in his mouth.
You don’t have to tell the other person what is happening in your head. It’s a private thing.
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