I don't understand the phenomenon that turns normal rational adults into infantile idiots...especially *my* adults. My traders are, by and far, normal, slightly-rational adults who succumb to passion in the heat of battle. That's fine.

It's the irrational ADHD-driven idiot who I'm imagining slowing lowered into a vat of boiling oil who I can't understand. Or cope with. Or function with.

I feel like Anne Sullivan with Helen Keller. He's going to learn if it kills me; if we have to throw plates and food and babies at each other, so be it.

Here's the background, so I don't sound *completely* mad:
Himself set up guidelines/rules to follow so he'd develop some discipline and self-improvement. I was pretty much put into the 'enforcement' position, making me the bad guy while the boss remains barely (but necessarily) neutral. I have full power in this situation (full backing by the boss) for enforcing rewards/punishments. I know that he can do this, that this is great because it came from him (not management) so it has a chance of working.

but oh my god how I hate it.

I hate confrontation. I hate arguing. I hate all that kind of negative interaction, because I am incapable of remaining rational and aloof. And as a woman working in a male-dominated (and male-majority) field, emotions are a death sentence. If I get emotional...it's all over and I've lost my credibility with the guys. I can't allow that.

Which means I am barely holding on to my temper, my emotions, and my voice as I have a pre-fight with Himself. He threatens to call the boss in London. I tell him to go ahead, but he might get voicemail since it's dinnertime there. He wants to call in the morning--that's fine with me. He thinks that the boss will bail him out and side with him (like he normally does) but he's in for a rude awakening.

The worst part of it is that I honestly feel sorry for the guy. He doesn't know how rules/limits work; he's always been able to work around them or talk himself out of punishments. And I don't want to be the one to break his spirit...I just want him to make my life a little easier.