Anyone who has a cat knows exactly what it means when you say that your cat is in full blown predator mode. They will run around and hunt you, the dog, your friends, bugs and anything else that moves. It’s funny to watch nature’s perfect little killer stalk and pounce knowing that they have the highest kill rating out of any animal on the planet but are just a tiny little fur ball that you pick up and boop on the nose. When it comes to predators and the drive they have, it’s more of mindset and hunt than the size or shape. I suppose we all know a few predators and have all acted on our own predatory drive from time to time. Sometimes it’s in play with games like tag or hide and seek. Nobody can say they haven’t played war as a kid or mock hunted someone for a jump scare. What is it that pushes us to embrace this part of ourselves and when do we draw the line for how we express it or how we receive it from others. The world is full of bad people and we call certain types of bad people predators as one of the bigger insults or derogatory terms. We praise and admire the predators of the wild but condemn people for a few different reasons. One of the most important reasons that stands out to me is the conscious choice and fully realized intent behind our actions. There is never a good reason to prey on someone but despite seeing certain people we hold close in our lives take advantage of us, we allow it. For some, I’m sure they feel stuck, for others they feel sorry for the weakness and desperation of those we let take advantage. Neither is good and by enabling them, we reinforce and reward their predatory drive but even worse still, we reinforce the idea that we are allowed and accept being prey. Sometimes it’s hard to draw a line and stand by the boundaries you set, getting gaslighted and guilted but a breath of fresh air and empowering when they realize those boundaries are set and staying. What do you think? Have you ever been the prey of someone out there? What about the predator?
