Leader of the Pack

There's been some news and discussion recently of students misbehaving in the classroom. Hmmm ... what else is new? We already know that students who are harassing their teachers, and disrupting the class, isn't a recent occurrence. I've experienced it in my youth. I've also experienced it, virtually, as a metaphysical teacher. Maybe it goes as far back as the very first classroom. Why? Well, I believe it's no different than the typical "leader of the pack" mentality, which I've seen many times in my life. 

For example, a student wishing to be the leader of their peers, may do so by maligning or mocking their teacher. This is the figure of authority to defeat, in order for the student to become the boss. This form of attack has been noted in places of employment too. Especially, when a person feels they want to remove another from having a job they want. They'll undermine anyone or anything to remove what they feel is their competition.

This "animal instinct," of wanting to be "top dog," isn't new either. It's a very deep programming within many humans. And, in order to be the leader, one may feel they have to, apparently, destroy or dethrone the other leader. It's a very barbaric way of thinking, which is often applied today by those who feel they cannot meet the same standards of someone they're trying to defeat or think they're better than another. They feel this need to undermine, or destroy, in order to take over. As a genealogist, I discovered that, in the days of old, many sons killed their fathers in order to be the ruler. In fact, family didn't hesitate to kill family to be "king of the hill." 

Sadly, this kind of thinking is still prevelant today. We see it in many areas, for numerous reasons, especially in the area of politics. Yes, even there we see the leader of the pack scenario in action. No, not the physical killing, thankfully, but the killing of another's reputation just to be top dog. 

In fact, this type of mentality is so obvious to me, now, I feel there's only one thing missing ... the howling.