Waiting, preferably, for him to say something that indicated he was steering himself away from this potentially self-destructive course.

"I went on this totally self-destructive course," she said recently, sipping tea in a Manhattan diner.

Surprised at first by my dash toward him, Sir Owen held forth his sword in the hopes of running me through, but I was on no self-destructive course.

It might not have any emotion about such an occurrence, but perhaps did have the intelligence not to pursue a self-destructive course.

If an old friend hadn't found me on the street and practically forced me to enroll at his university, I might still be pursuing my self-destructive course.

"My duty tells me to do my best to talk you out of any self-destructive course of action," Fuller said.

Theo's fears that his brother was on a self-destructive course must have been at least partly eased by this letter.

If, however, we continue on this self-destructive course, the next step may be some form of a virtual-reality mask and a headset for every audience member.

So Brazil embarked on a self-destructive course: tax credits, exemptions and deductions, as well as subsidized loans, for private entrepreneurs to invest in cattle ranching.

Yet, both the American elite and general public found the strength to veer off the self-destructive course and elect Obama, a president representing hope and change.