Caveman AND Evolving Human

Triumphalism is the attitude or belief that a particular doctrine, religion, culture, or social system is superior to and should triumph over all others. Triumphalism is not an articulated doctrine but rather a term used to characterize certain attitudes or belief systems ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumphalism

Many millions of us loved seeing a sweet little girl perform amazing martial arts routines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLWlTtywdkQ But why call her "badass"? And more specifically, why is being a "badass" something we admire? There's something in us that wants to definitively, once and for all, make up for all the hurts, injustices, insults etc we've ever endured, and absolutely crush some unfortunate "perp" on whom we've projected all our neuroses. Then we can snarl triumphantly over the sweet victory like a beast over a fresh kill. Look at the expression on this (otherwise sweet) little girl's face immediately at the end of her routine (below).

A popular poster in the 1970s showed a cave-man-like brute carrying a huge club, with the caption: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil, because I'm the meanest son-of-a-bitch in the valley."

Whether we realize it or not, a part of ALL of us, is this primitive brute, doing his primitive best to protect his fearful inner child. Sadly, many of us will hang on to our clubs till they're pulled "from our cold dead hands". Fortunately, some of us do mature into wise, loving adults. We do so by accepting & transcending our inner caveman, NOT by causing others to suffer from our hangups. Evolution of our own consciousness is the only real triumph. http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/11/443-our-self-concepts-worldviews-must.html