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.

Posted on
Category: Leadership

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

Leave a Reply to Daison pilesos_bqOa Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

285,341 thoughts on “How to Pet a Porcupine”

  8. Если вам требуется помощь в организации похорон, обратите внимание на наш сайт, где собраны все необходимые услуги, связанные с похоронной сферой.
    Сайт предлагает продуманную навигацию. Вы легко найдетевсё, что нужно для планирования похорон и сможете сделать правильный выбор.
    Мы понимаем, насколько важна точность и внимание к деталям в таких деликатных вопросах. На сайте представлена актуальная информация о стоимости, процедурах и возможностях.
    Свяжитесь с нами для консультации, и получите полную поддержку на всех этапах. https://www.are.na/ninzovdrzsm/tglmug4sxaa

    Reply

  9. Hello there! This post could not be written much better! Going through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He constantly kept talking about this. I will send this post to him. Fairly certain he’s going to have a very good read. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  19. After checking out a few of the blog posts on your site, I seriously appreciate your technique of blogging. I added it to my bookmark webpage list and will be checking back soon. Please visit my web site too and let me know what you think.

    Reply

  23. Ребята, а вы знаете, где сейчас реально выиграть в онлайн-казино? После десятков проверок остановился на честных клубах. Важно: минимальный депозит. Актуальный рейтинг с джекпотами и кэшбэком — по ссылке: онлайн казино. Обсуждаем!

    Reply

  25. casino brasil cassino brasil, cassino online brasil, casino online brasil, jogos de cassino brasil, cassino brasil online, cassino dinheiro real brasil, jogar cassino online, cassino brasil login, cassino brasil site oficial, cassino brasil acesso, cassino brasil sem bloqueio, cassino mobile brasil, aplicativo cassino brasil, cassino ao vivo brasil, slots cassino brasil, melhores cassinos brasil, jogos de cassino online brasil

    Reply

  35. Здравствуйте! Хочу предложить проверенный способ выбора казино: обращайте внимание на скорость вывода, а не только на бонусы. Я составил список платформ 2025 года, где есть игры от NetEnt и Pragmatic. Всё по ссылке: эльдорадо казино. Делитесь впечатлениями!

    Reply

  42. Как специалист, я — Дмитрий, достаточно давно изучаю, насколько трансформируется экосистема тематических онлайн-площадок.
    Со временем я регулярно наблюдать, как пользователи опираются на разрозненные упоминания, и это приводит к ошибкам.
    По этой причине я всегда рекомендую опираться на обзорные источники, где информация собрана системно и периодически обновляется, в том числе и упоминания вроде. Подобный способ позволяет оперативнее понять в текущей ситуации избегая информационного хаоса.
    Как итог это даёт более полную картину и уменьшает потенциальные проблемы, которые возникают с применением неактуальных данных. как зайти на mega сб маркетс https://megasait.cfd

    Reply

  46. Этот текст содержит различную информацию, которая, возможно, покажется любопытной, но в целом не меняет восприятия привычных вещей. Предлагаем просто получить удовольствие от чтения, не ожидая особой пользы.
    Вот – азартные игры

    Reply

  47. Very nice post. I simply stumbled upon your blog and wanted to
    mention that I’ve really enjoyed surfing around your weblog posts.
    In any case I’ll be subscribing on your feed and I hope you write once more soon!

    Reply

  49. Simply want to say your article is as amazing. The clearness in your post is just excellent and i could assume you are an expert on this subject. Fine with your permission allow me to grab your feed to keep updated with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please carry on the rewarding work.
    казино banda

    Reply