I've been thinking about the old common law concept of the "reasonable man" as a benchmark in disputes. It's not a specific person, but an ideal of reasonableness. When handling conflicts, everyone is compared to this standard. Justice operates as if we’re all reasonable, expecting us to act that way, even though it’s not assumed everyone is. You can’t resolve disputes with a madman, after all.

But in the real world, this is often a problem. I’ve seen countless times that people just aren’t reasonable. Worse, even those who usually are can lose it when dealing with someone who’s gone completely off the rails. They turn into madmen themselves during arguments or disputes with crazy individuals. It’s frustrating to witness.

I’ve got two thoughts on this. First, I’m genuinely glad there are still reasonable people out there who stay calm and rational, even when facing someone clearly unhinged. That’s the positive. But on the negative side, I feel like being truly reasonable is rare these days. Honestly, it seems most people are a bit crazy... And many more than a bit...