Chilling

“Chill” is an interesting directive that also verges on being a jeremiad. You urge a couple of arguing protestors to “chill” when things are getting out of hand. It’s also an imperative. “Chill!” means “you chill,” if it is uttered by an authority who looks like he or she has mace or pepper spray to back up their command. The origin of the expression obviously derives from the need to cool down something that's about to boil over. Of course the condition of someone who's acceded to the advice, command or demand is that of being cold which is not good either. A cold person is emotionally distant and literally if you get cold, you can get a fever and die—in which you case you will turn into a corpse which is the absolute zero of coldness when it comes to living things. To be hot blooded is admittedly to be highly reactive. A hot-blooded person is in danger of exploding, but they're also passionate about people and causes. You can’t just chill all the time or you will be both a lousy lover and indifferent individual who doesn't give a hoot about the fate of humanity. But what do you do when two people are having a disagreement in the middle of a blizzard? How can you tell someone to “chill,”on a street in Minneapolis during the winter months when temperatures sink down to minus numbers.