Impulse is defined as a sudden, involuntary inclination which prompts us to do something. When someone constantly does things driven by their emotions at that moment, we tend to call that person impulsive. A man shoots and kills his wife and two friends at the wife’s birthday party because she took his car keys so that he would not drive drunk. A woman slaps a waitress inciting a brawl in a restaurant because she was not pleased with the food or the service. A driver is cut off in traffic by another driver and road rage leaves one dead. A police officer driven by fear, anger, and prejudice shoots and kills an unarmed person. A man finds his wife in bed with another man and shoots and kills two people. A parent beats a child unmercifully while demeaning the child. All of these could be considered impulsive acts, and I am sure each of us can think of a thousand more. If we are honest, we can also confess to many impulsive acts that we commit daily, like overeating, disparaging someone’s character because they upset or disappointed us.
Impulsive behavior has ruined lives and has destabilized our world in so many ways. Impulsive behavior is celebrated on television, in music, and in our movies. Yet impulses are not always negative. A young man walking down the street sees a woman lying on the ground in front of her home with her child sitting beside her. He stops and calls 911, and because of his impulse to help her, her life was saved.
Our impulses come from our thoughts that are dominant at the time of action. Whatever we feed our thoughts will influence our actions. A bitter person is likely to produce actions that grow out of that bitterness. The impulses of a thoughtful and caring person are likely to produce thoughtful and caring actions. In a time of crisis, our impulsive response will depend on what kind of mind and heart we consistently cultivate day after day.
We discipline our impulses by disciplining our thoughts. Paramedics and those who respond to crisis are trained to respond with aid and care. If we are going to help our world in this time of crisis, we must train ourselves to control our impulses to save life, and not destroy it.