I'm just sort of mulling over these thoughts so they may only be half formed.
Has anyone else noticed a rather pervasive pack mentality (dominants, submissive, levels of dominance, fights for dominance) among people? Especially extroverted types? I feel like in the last year I really have.
Like, I would say that my brother is an alpha male, or close.
My father...wants to be. I think he's the dangerous kind, a partially dominant male who wishes to be alpha. He and my bro used to butt heads all the time. But now my father bends to my brother, not vise versa.
My sister is dominant until you stand up to her and assert dominance, then she fawns. I find it kind of offensive but it serves my point.
This last year at work there was a power play among the new teachers that I wasn't even aware of until I'd been shoved to the bottom of the dominance train. And then they expected me to be submissive even though *I'd* never conceded dominance. Most people seem to cede to this subtle tendency. Especially women. Especially E women. It irritates the crap out of me. Now, some women I've met have no problem being told what to do and being bossed about.
I do. I have no desire to dominate or to be dominated. I feel a bit outside the order of things. Unfortunately I think that leads a lot of people to think I'm a ubersubmissive, like an ISFJ, because I don't fight at all for dominance. Then they can't figure out why I dig my claws in when I start being bossed about.
But, lately, I feel I've been learning to play by the rules of the pack, so to speak. You know, identify the pack leaders, whether male or female, alli myself with some faction, assert support of the dominant, submit, or involve myself in subterfuge. It's depressing, quite frankly, but that's beside the point.
We're people, individuals. We have evolved brains. So, why is it that we respond this way? And, why do I find that I have to respond this way if I don't want to be a lone wolf? Isn't it odd?