“I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale,<\/i><\/p>\n
Handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail;<\/i><\/p>\n
Only last week, I murdered a rock,<\/i><\/p>\n
Injured a stone, hospitalized a brick;<\/i><\/p>\n
I’m so mean I make medicine sick.”<\/i><\/p>\n
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Mohammad Ali<\/i><\/p>\n
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Few men are able to so use poetry as a vehicle for posturing their threatening bravado as did Muhammad Ali. I remember his not so veiled threats against Howard Cosell, and how they always left you uncertain as to whether he was joking around, or if Howard was in actual danger of being beaten to a pulp. In a boxing ring, it’s good to have that kind of mystique around you. You want to be unpredictable, fear inspiring, maybe a little bit crazy. The same is true in the mean streets of our cities, which no doubt explains the “Ali style” use of taunting, posturing poetry by so many of today’s rappers.<\/p>\n
Truth is that despite the fact that few of us men use poetry to act tough (most of us would get beat up if we did), posturing is a trait common to the males of many species, and humans are included in that grouping. Biologically, it’s survival of the fittest. The biggest, toughest male gets the best of the food, gets the girls… king of the hill. But nature does not generally leave this to some March Madness style tournament whereby the only measure of strength is not dying in your latest battle. If such were the case, life would be a constant bloodbath of endless fights to the death, and even the strongest would eventually succumb to their wounds and be worn down by the long line of challengers. Instead, the actual fighting is usually kept to a reasonable minimum, with most of the battle implied by the mere threat of violence, and the projection (or sometimes the illusion) of strength.<\/p>\n
Women are often amused, and occasionally disgusted by these male displays of testosterone driven machismo; but any man who has suffered through high school will tell you, posturing can be a survival tool, and while taming your testosterone might seem like the civilized thing to do, civilization seldom fares well against barbarians. And while women can laugh or roll their eyes at tough talking males, they seem to be subject to their own biology as well, attracted to the bad boys, sometimes really bad boys, and often the most gullible to male strutting and crowing. Believe me, if being predictably docile would get you girls, more men would be gentle lambs. Of course, there’s a balance. Adolescent display of tough guy machismo becomes tedious in a setting where it is uncalled for; and posturing at work, strutting in a nice restaurant, or chest thumping at the library just makes you look like an ass. On the other hand, acting soft and vulnerable in the wrong place at the wrong time might leave you without your wallet, and taking your meals from a straw.<\/p>\n
Most men who do not have mental problems aren’t really looking for a fight. Exchanging blows is painful, even when you win the fight. And while excessive bravado can lead to confrontations, ironically the best way to avoid a fight in some places is to appear to be fully prepared for one. It doesn’t require a lot of noise, just a certain look, appearing possibly dangerous and maybe even a little bit crazy, or at least unpredictable. It doesn’t even need to be totally convincing, just enough to create doubt; even tough talking guys are usually cowards, and are unwilling to chance a beatdown. Of course, the best way to appear dangerous is to actually be dangerous, and there may come a day where you need to back up your act.<\/p>\n