How to Pet a Porcupine

I discovered something new in a staff meeting a few weeks ago, and that is that you can pet a porcupine without getting hurt. I have never actually pet a porcupine, but I was told it is possible without a follow-up trip the hospital, if you do it correctly.

Porcupine

Photo courtesy of © flickr.com/photos/arthur_chapman/3986448936/

If you want to pet a porcupine without getting stuck by a bunch of quills you don’t run up and startle it.  You don’t quickly scoop it up into your hands and give it a big hug.  If you want to pet a porcupine you have to develop trust with it.  First, you hold out your hand to see if it wants to come near and sniff you. Only after it sniffs you can you pet it, but you have to do it a certain way starting at the head and petting down.  To pet a porcupine any other way could potentially hurt…a lot.

Some people are a lot like porcupines. They have quills, and they will stick you if you handle them the wrong way.    You know the kind of people I am talking about, they tend to be a bit grouchy, pessimistic, standoffish and avoid personal contact, have a tendency to complain and point out the bad in a situation, etc…  These people tend to be a lot like porcupines.  If you run up and startle them you’re going to get hurt.  If you try to pressure them into doing something you’re going to get hurt.  If you cross their path in a way they don’t like, start looking for the nearest hospital.

To pet one of these porcupines requires developing trust just like a real porcupine. No, holding out your hand to see if they sniff you is probably not the best way to go about it, but spending time getting to know them is.  Learning about their perspective, their past, their priorities can give you insight in how best to go about working and getting along with them.  Taking the time to building trust with can go a very long way, and save you a lot of pain in the end.  Just as I am sure petting a real porcupine is an amazing experience, I know that getting someone who is a bit prickly on your side can be just as fulfilling.

Also, for those who are pastors of churches and have opportunity to work with porcupines, the reality is that they are also sheep in need of a good shepherd. They can’t simply be dismissed. You can’t just steer clear of them like you might a real porcupine in the wild. You have to learn to pet them.  You have to learn to lead them. So you might as well do it the right way, and save yourself some pain.

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

638,164 thoughts on “How to Pet a Porcupine

  1. Gmaiil. Owner of oracle corporation. Surface pro 3 and surface 3. Lou gossett. How much is small business insurance. Llc formation services. Ronald o perelman.
    Hemingway house. Bobbi althoff. Chuck schumer net worth. When is reacher season 4 coming out. Pete buttigieg net worth forbes. Ace bailey retired. Rivian.

    Forbes taylor swift. Lyle mitchell. New streaming movies. Toto wolff. Richest man forbes. Quordle clues. Best pregnancy app. Richest woman in america. Squid game ending. Black female artist singers. Forbes new ivies 2025. Thyssen forbes.

  2. Aldi. When is the iphone 17 coming out. Ai safety news. Robin egg. Right brain. University of michigan football schedule.
    Elon musk ceo. Baht to usd. Egp vs us dollar. What is the wordle today. Nfl player nyt connections. La’s there she goes lyrics. Circulation socks for pregnancy.

    Moringa benefits for women. Spring 2025. John morgan lawyer net worth. Powerball jackpot winner 526.5 million. The pitt streaming. Moringa tea benefits. Saint-germain-des-prГ©s. Canandaigua. Why was the waterfront cancelled. Tee caddy club nyt. Best time to buy plane tickets. Richest person from each state.

  3. Angelina jolie. Highest paid paid athlete. Gdp to usd. Blackpink album. Forbes election 2024. Bezos ex wife.
    Rubles to dollars. List of billionaires usa. Fusion dumpling. Pan english movie. Sonic 3 game release.

    To whom it may concern. Andor. Stranger things news. Richest youtubers. Knee surgery meme. New streaming this week. Top ai company. Retiring in costa rica. The rookie aaron thorsen. Travis kelce american eagle collaboration. Kylie jenner makeup. When is fallout season 2.

  4. Hey I am so happy I found your webpage, I really found you by error, while I was
    searching on Google for something else, Nonetheless
    I am here now and would just like to say many thanks for a fantastic post and a all round exciting blog
    (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to go through it
    all at the minute but I have saved it and also added in your RSS feeds, so
    when I have time I will be back to read more, Please do keep up the superb jo.

  5. Натяжной потолок подходит для ремонта, в компании Потолки Москвы, когда хочется чистого результата за день, ПВХ полотно создает чистую линию примыкания к стенам; после монтажа вы получаете ровную поверхность и понятную гарантию https://potolki-decarat.ru/

  6. По моему, это не самый лучший вариант
    Крым — это уникальное место, где соединяются удивительные пейзажи и богатая история. туры по Крыму, https://м-драйв.рф предлагают шанс увидеть древние памятники и насладиться живописными пляжами. Вы сможете познакомиться с природные достопримечательности и насладиться вкусной кухней. Крым — это уникальный отдых, который удивляет своей разнообразной культурой и атмосферой.

  7. jest to atrakcyjna strona internetowa dla milosnikow gier kasynowych. Gracze moga grac w rozne rodzaje gier, od prostych slotow po zlozone gry strategiczne. Vulkan Spiele Casino oferuje graczom atrakcyjne bonusy i promocje .

    Gra w Vulkan Spiele Casino zapewnia graczom bezpieczne i wygodne srodowisko do gry. Gracze moga korzystac z opcji gry na zywo, aby uzyskac bardziej realistyczne doswiadczenie . Vulkan Spiele Casino oferuje graczom dostep do szerokiej gamy gier od najlepszych dostawcow .

    vulkanspiele kody bonusowe https://vulkanpoland.com/kod-promocyjny/

  8. Клиника придерживается принципа прозрачного ценообразования. Пациенту или родственникам сразу озвучивается стоимость всех процедур и услуг. Возможна оплата поэтапно или в рамках пакета. В отличие от многих клиник, «ОмскПрофи» предоставляет фиксированные цены на распространённые виды помощи, без скрытых доплат.
    Исследовать вопрос подробнее – платная наркологическая скорая помощь омск