Passive-aggressive Street

If you were to USA and you have not experienced passive-aggressive behaviour then you haven't been to USA. It still is a "Struggle Street" for me as I do not know how to navigate the passive-aggressive situation. Do you go back as if you hit the dead end street or move forward and attack the dead end wall? I ask myself this question on a quite a regular basis. It is not unusual that for example  a huge truck drives over my feet on a pedestrian crosswalk (green light for me) and the drivers sends a broad smile and says "Oops, I am sorry". I can respond to an aggressive person, I can respond to a nice person but I am still puzzled where I have to deal with a smiley light-weight abuser.

More, American Street is loud. Expect smiley light-weight abuses daily. Shop-assistant/cashiers shout out "Hey!!!" right after I paid  and I still turn around to realize that this is how employees start conversation with another employee - standing shoulder in shoulder. Joggers, walkers, dog-walkers  shout out right behind you back other vocalities: "Really!!!", "No!!!!", "You must be kiddin' me!!!", "Bite the dust!!". I turn around naturally to learn that, yes indeed, they are wired into their ear-phones either shouting to someone or singing Michael Jackson's song.

I slowly learn from the once-famous psychologist Dr. Arthur Janov (Book is called: "Biology of Love") that the source of this unique need for attention, obsession with appearance and overall anxiety can be traced down all the way to childhood: "When we have been unloved as infants our systems are on the alert. It drives us toward fulfilment, even symbolic fulfilment, the applause of an audience, the acquisition of money (..) food and sex. These are rerouted needs when love is and has been missing"

It makes kind of sense in a country with shortest maternity leave in the developed world. I guess I start  shouting back soon. Attention seekers need attention after all, right?