The big "Angrist vs Joeiss" poll

[manasecret]

When I find I feel intimidated by a person or a situation I'm in, which happens a lot to me it seems which I like to blame on my long line of paranoid family members, I just run through this thought-process.

Who controls me? No one controls me but me. No one CAN control me but me. No one has any power over my actions except the power that I let them have over me. In that case, then don't I have more power than I think? I am literally giving away my own power to other people when I let them intimidate me or control my thoughts. So why don't I realize that I'm giving away my power to other people, and instead of giving it away, why don't I take it back?

It works for me. I reckon, however, that this thought-process wouldn't work particularly well if I were getting my ass kicked.

Richard Simmons turns 59 today, btw.