Strangling the Inner Delta

I am constantly looking for ideas to create conflict with my inner delta.  I am looking for situations that will bring my deltaness to the surface ...at which point I will wrap my fingers around those thoughts and squeeze.  You get the idea.

The other day, I decided to go beard-free.  I have either been with beard or goatee for 10 years.  I have noticed recently that more and more emasculated men sport the goat, therefore it is time to disassociate myself.  In the past I would have just shaved it off, gotten two or three comments, and gone on with life.  Not this time.  This time I went with the full-blown Elvis sideburns that are two strands of hair short of mutton chops.  My purpose was to get reactions from people so I could evaluate how alpha or non-alpha I reacted to these reactions and modify my own reactions as I went.

The first three opportunities, I couldn't shut myself up.  I was yabbering on about this being the first time in a decade with a bare chin, and thanks, and other such examples of diarrhea mouth.  After the third time, I realized I was in for a fight with my inner delta.  I chambered another round and remembered the maxim: when in doubt, shut up.  The next couple of comments I waited, then just nodded and said nothing.  Then something remarkable happened, something clicked!

Suddenly, the responses I got went from "what-the...?" and "shave it off" to "Elvis!" or "Wolverine!"  Now when someone attempts to mention my new appearance in a derogatory tone, I respond in one of two ways.  I either give them a sarcastic verbal agree-and-amplify:  "I'm glad you like it, I did it JUST for YOU."  Or, I pause, look at the intruder, nod and grunt.  For the last two weeks, this little shaving exercise has been effective at resetting the different pecking orders I am in.

To get out of a rut sometimes one must turn the wheel and step on the gas.  If anyone has other suggestions to locate and strangle my delicate inner delta, fire away.
 - DJ