Initially, I wanted to explain how a solid punch to the face could have healing properties under certain circumstances.

A colleague suggested I proceed with caution or abandon the idea. I chose to do neither. That said, if you are the highly suggestive type, stop reading now.

Since the dawn of time, one question has determined the entire course of civilization. It has resulted in destruction as well as creation. It has cultivated unspoken rules of civil conduct as well as established a formal judicial system here and abroad. That question is: How should we deal with jerks?

If life has taught me anything, it is that jerks are like cockroaches. They are nasty, inconvenient and here to stay. Fortunately for you and unfortunately for me, I have extensive knowledge on the subject, both professionally and personally.

What makes me qualified, you ask? What are my credentials?

Until recently, I worked as a bouncer at a local bar. I took the job knowing it’s a prerequisite for a bouncer to know how to be a jerk (which I certainly do) but also knowing that a bouncer has to deal with every jerk starting trouble in the bar.

Before my brief career in “bar security,” I worked within a highly regimented chain of command as a Corpsman attached to a Marine battalion. During that time, I vividly remember learning to distinguish between an order and a request. Some of those lessons were learned from a jerk, other times from being one.

How can people best deal with a jerk? It depends.

Understanding the context of a situation is essential. For instance, if, during a job interview, you are asked how to resolve a difference of opinion with a stubborn coworker, you would probably reply with the most politically correct version you could pull together. You’ve been conditioned to do this to the point that it seems natural. In the real world, that isn’t always the case.

The reality is that, weekly in DeKalb, some of the same NIU students that can offer polished, politically correct responses under controlled circumstances chuck their purported values and turn to violence. When this happens, it’s up to the rest of us to help that person “remember” which types of behavior are acceptable and which are not.

I can’t emphasize this enough. The urge to “fight fire with fire” should be avoided if possible, but I would be a hypocrite if I told you I haven’t seen it work. In much the same way that America’s judicial system applies punitive measures to criminals to serve as a deterrent to other “would-be criminals,” so too can a concerned citizenry offer a degree of deterrence.

When you see someone acting out of line, it’s your job to call them on it. It’s a sign of maturity and indicative of a person with values.

Ignoring people intent on spreading social ills is contagious and selfish.