How the Hero of the Waffle House Attack Used Emotional Intelligence to Save Himself and Others

[malaise]

https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/how-james-shaw-jr-hero-of-waffle-house-attack-used-emotional-intelligence-to-save-himself-others.html
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"I think anybody could've did what I did if they're just pushed in that kind of cage, and you have to either react or you're going to, you know, fold," Shaw went on to say. "I was completely doing it just to save myself. Now, me doing that, I did save other people. But I don't want people to think that I was the Terminator or Superman or anybody like that. It was just, I figured if I was going to die, he was going to have to work for it."

"I'm not a hero. I'm just a regular person," Shaw said afterward.

As I've watched numerous interviews with Shaw in the aftermath of that traumatic experience, I am impressed at his ability to remain humble, downplay his actions, and deflect attention away from himself.

What I see is a remarkable example of real-world emotional intelligence.

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I think the most important thing was that James Shaw knew he was in a bad place, did not want to die, did not freeze, studied the situation and acted. If that is what is called emotional intelligence then I agree. By the way the funds he raised for victims passed $100,000.

[BigmanPigman]

1. I have heard that the drill at schools now is the same thing that went through

his head and shows how he acted on it. If there is an active shooter you do these things in this order...
1. Run
2. Hide
3. Fight back

He ran, hid behind the swinging kitchen door then fought the guy when the opportunity came up.

[malaise]

2. Maybe it's a drill at his workplace as well

All I know is that they would have been scattering my ashes in the sea tomorrow - I'd have frozen harder than a glacier.

[Amaryllis]

3. Hard to know what you would actually do in the situation until you're there.

[GETPLANING]

4. A real hero stands up and does the right thing

This guy is still doing the right thing, long after the spotlight has gone out. The very definition of an everyday hero.

[BobTheSubgenius]

5. I legitimately thought I was in a potential active shooter situation.

No need to go into the story behind the situation, but what I was told seemed pretty credible, given the sketchy characters involved. Now, what I did wasn't exactly heroic, or even "cricket", as the British say, but I wasn't as interested in being an action hero as I was getting through it without being shot.

I made my way behind the guy that was alleged to be packing, and I was going to f him up if he reached into his pocket and had something in his hand when it came back out. It's pretty easy if you are my size and have the drop on the target.

Anyway....the point is that I haven't been in a legitimate "fight" since I was a teenager, and that was sort of a one-punch-each affair...but I was still completely willing to do that probably foolhardy thing.

[oberliner]

6. Why is Waffle House so crowded at 3AM?

[Lars39]

8. Because people get hungry,

especially if they’ve been dancing in a night club.

[Hestia]

9. Swing shift workers? 3-11 or 4-12. About the only place open at 3 a.m.

[oberliner]

10. Thanks

Shaw even said he went to a different Waffle House first and it was so crowded that he went to this other one (which was also crowded, but not as much).

[Retrograde]

12. When you're out clubbing

you want some stodgy food to help soak up the alcohol. In my day, it was the late, lamented Clown Alley in San Francisco.

Or waffles are just good whenever and wherever.

[oberliner]

14. Makes sense

Thanks for sharing that.

[Hestia]

7. He works for AT&T and is a member of CWA - every year AT&T gives a $10,000 bonus for the

most outstanding employee of the year at AT&T. I asked my husband if we could send an email to somebody who makes the final determination in order to vote for James Shaw for this compensation. He is more than likely going to need it, being off work.

Past employees who have been honored have been those who step it up during/after hurricanes, etc.

[oberliner]

15. GoFundMe has already raised almost $200k for him

Check this out:

https://www.gofundme.com/help-the-waffle-house-hero

[mountain grammy]

11. It doesn't take a good guy with a gun

Just a good guy who sees an opportunity and has the courage to take it..a hero

[applegrove]

13. I also heard him say he does not want this event to be a main event

in his life. He's wise.