Road rage is often the product of the desire of two drivers to compete against each other on the road. A similar scenario is seen in marriage where a husband and wife tend to compete against each other rather than to function as a team. This is strange but not unusual. Some wives want to be seen as wealthier than their husbands, and become workaholics to prove it. Some husbands can’t tolerate the fact that their wives are more intelligent or smarter than them in certain aspects of life. Such husbands tend to suppress the opinion of their wives to prove a stupid point.
The “competitive edge” that leads to rage can be found in marriage as well as in driving. It has been noted that “There is something about driving that can bring out a person’s competitive edge. Quiet words become drag-racing strips. Motorways turn into Formula One tracks. Roundabouts resemble chicanes. And our fellow drivers are all competitors in a race to the next junction. Perhaps it is this misguided need to “win” that explains why drivers seem to duel over gaps in traffic or become so defensive and aggrieved when another vehicle filters into their lane” (p.4).
A husband and wife actually belong to the same team and should not be competitors. They must avoid competition borne out of relationship rage. Some couples compete over the custody of children, especially when their relationship sours. Custody battles can be so nasty that children are compelled to choose between a father or a mother. This ought not to be. Children belong to both parents and each one should seek the overall welfare of a child. A father should not seek the custody of a very young child when that child is better off in the custody of the mother. Nevertheless, when there are no such safety concerns for a child, the best option is that both parents should have unrestricted access to their children when a marriage winds up. A relationship rage that damages the emotions and life of a child is like a road rage between two drivers that leads to the death of an innocent road user. Both must be avoided.
