It's Not About Me
Humans are an intelligent yet emotionally sensitive creatures. Because of this emotional sensitivity, the words and actions of others can sometimes bruise our egos. At times it takes very little to prick our emotional skin. Consequently for prisoners, we encounter pricks daily. Finding a way to deal with those pricks while incarcerated is a skill highly useful in the free world. That skill set is knowing "Its not about me".
In the Four Agreements, author Don Ruiz explains how things happen in this world that do not revolve around us. In prison, nothing revolve around us. We exist in an artificial biom controlled by others. And though we find ourselves at the brunt or butt of situations and it may feel like the majority of things we experience is the result of others, 80% of the time we are not the catalysis of it. Guards are people dealing with financial, social, and emotional issues. We would like for them to display compartmentalizing coping strategies when dealing with " we the prison people". Yet, pressure burst pipes and we may be at the right spot to get wet.
This concept holds true for the inmate population. We are sarcastic, sardonic, and snippy. If we take a microscopic look at why we snapped at our cellie, or verbally accosted the guard. We find that it wasn't about them but what we are going through on the inside. Having that insight we become more empathic to others and what they may be going through as well. Whether guard or cellie, whatever they got going on its not about you.
In conclusion prisoners act hard but we really are emotional softies. Because of this, it hurts when guards treat use badly or our friends respond to us in a biting way. They key to moving pass these bumps in the road is keeping in mind their temperament isn't about you. You are just experiencing the release.
Ronin Wolf