Remnarc,
I totally understand what you are going through. My frustration with stupid people isn't behind the wheel (thankfully) - it's usually when they are supposed to be "waiting" on me, i.e. a cashier, waiter/waitress, etc., especially when I feel like I'm being ignored or that, despite me telling them they're doing something wrong involving money, they insist they are right.
As far a people understanding the theory of physics or thinking they are indestructible in a car, I don't think it's either one. I think it has to do with selfishness and being self-centered. I think they think they are the only ones important and everyone else who, obviously, are less important needs to get out of their way.
My husband gets frustrated at this too, especially when he's going 50 mph and someone in a little car that takes 15 seconds to get from zero to sixty pulls out in front of him, effectively making him slam on the brakes. More often than not they've been sitting at the stop sign or red light waiting and waiting, only to pull out in front at the very last second. It especially ticks him off when there's no one behind him.
For my job, I've been through the Franklin-Covey 7 Habits of Highly Effective People; one of the 7 habits they discuss involves a circle of concern vs. a circle of influence. It's a technique I remind myself of every day and it goes like this:
The circle of concern is a big circle, where as the circle of influence is a smaller circle within the circle of concern. The circle of influence is where we should focus our energy, as those are the things we can change or have influence upon. The circle of concern contains all of those things too (hence the reason the circle of influence is inside it), but it also contains things that are of concern to us, but that we can't do anything about. We should put our energy into those things we can influence and learn to let go (mostly) those things outside the circle of influence but inside our circle of concern.
That is where I put people like those who cut us off in the car. I am concerned about their actions but honestly, there is very little I can do that would influence them and I certainly can't control them.
Now...that's not to say that there aren't times when I shout obscenities at them...LOL! I just do now dwell on them or else they would consume my entire day!
