In Moments of Chaos or Combat, Be Smart Now and Emotional Later

Emotions play an important role in how we operate as normal human beings. “Feelings” motivate us into action (or inaction), help with our survival instincts and influences our decision making processes.

To bear trials with a calm mind robs misfortune of its strength and burden. -Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Furthermore, emotions give us a deeper way to understand others and others to understand us.

In other words, emotions help us function. But when there’s too much or when it’s overwhelming, such as when it manifests during extreme cases of conflict or in the chaos of combat, it can make us dysfunction.

Raging arguments, physical altercations, traumatic incidents and extreme moments of pain are when our emotions are heightened off the charts. But it’s also when it’s the most dangerous to our ability to face these events with effectiveness and efficiency.

It’s in these times that emotions distort our decision making capabilities and often veer us away from our own best interests – truly clouding our judgment.

It’s in these times that pure logic must move and drive our actions and not be directed by faulty emotions.

So when actively faced with conflict or chaos, be emotionally detached so that you can focus and think clearly of the situation and maneuver with precision.

Seeing all your available choices and not just what your current state of emotions gravitate to.

The more severe an emotional response is expected from any given situation, the more likely a negative impact it will have on your ability to resolve that difficult task, complication or crisis.

That’s when you know to be smart now (during the occurrence) and emotional later (after the resolution).

It’s a form of professional detachment, like with law enforcement, doctors, lawyers, soldiers and referees – to not be personally involved in something or of having no emotional interest in it to do their jobs better. Except in this case it’s for your own self, or at least deferred for after the fact.

Another way to put this is to temporarily be a “stone cold mothafucka” or more technically a “highly functioning individual with strategically sociopathic tendencies” on a situational basis.

Stay cool, calm and collected with an objective mindset. Keep your feelings at bay knowing you can let it all out after your mission is accomplished.

Drill this phrase into your brain: “Be smart now and angry / scared / jealous / sad later.”