When I was a child, I recall people talking about dogs getting rabies and distemper. Since then I have seen many instances where rabies was mentioned in the news or in a movie setting, etc.  Yet, I have heard no mention of distemper in dogs. Perhaps, in dogs, it is a very rare disorder?

I remember a book, by Peter C. Newman, called 'The Distemper of Our Times' - a work describing Canada's political situation. But, I do not hear people talking about that any more.

I understand distemper applies to both a disease experienced by animals and politics...I suspect it also applies to a mindset-behaviour combination experienced by a small number of human beings. 

While I have never seen mad dogs exhibiting the impact of distemper I have seen human beings illustrating it.  Recently, I have had the inconvenience of experiencing a couple of people who struggle with distemper.  These two people have some striking similarities. They are both incredibly self-focused, apparently oblivious to the needs of others and possibly unable to understand the needs of others.  And both people are consumed by a violent rage.  Needless to say, these people wreak havoc in their business settings.  At least, that's the opinion of the people who work with them.

That opinion about the havoc they wreak is not an opinion they grasp, acknowledge, accept or validate. Distempered people appear to live in a world of their own. Their lives appear to be full of stress and anxiety….and relentless waves of vehement anger. Yet, they do not understand the extent of the damage.

You may think these people are doomed to fail at work. From my observations it seems this is not true, at least in the short term. These people are able to force their way through  business people and business problems. So, with forceful action, they are able to obtain a level of business success. Yet, the business atmospheres they create and prevail over are uncomfortable, mind-damaging and [for many people] unbearable.