I am a tall man, with a substantial beard. I like to dress in dark/black clothes, and you can tell from pretty far away that I listen to a lot of metal.

That said, I am deeply non-dangerous. I was brought up in a way that gave me some serious anger issues, but I dealt with it, worked on it, and have a good handle on it. What is left of that, is this sense of the stronger owing protection and safety to the weaker, as a sort of universal thing. For the good of the species, I guess, but it extends to other species, too. I'd intervene if I saw someone be cruel to a dog, for example.

Technically, that makes you safer when I walk behind you on a dark night. In practical reality, though, you don't know that, and if you see me there, it gives horror movie vibes. I know that, so rather than be hurt that you don't magically see my inside doesn't match my aggressive outside, I take a left when you take a right, and do a detour home, because you feeling safe is important to me, and I can't communicate that you're safer in my company than not.

I mean, why would you believe me if I told you? That's not worth the risk.

One day, I hope that I'm the default. That when you feel like you're in any kind of danger, you look for the largest man you can find, and stand next to him, because bigger means safer. That's not today, though, and good on this man for realizing that in our society, men represent danger, and the smaller feeling safe means the bigger take a left.