Pride and Fear

[Jake Di Vita]

I think pride is only a bad thing when it isn't kept in check. Pride in my performance is one of the things that keep me honest. Pride in myself is what keeps me working hard.

Thinking you are a better shooter than you are isn't pride - it's ego - which in my opinion are 2 very different things. Pride not kept in check turns to ego - usually after you've had a little success or attained a goal. The worst thing about ego is that a bad performance doesn't get rid of it once it's there - but strengthens it.

[Duane Thomas]

How so?

[Jake Di Vita]

For me Pride is all about me being the best I can be. Ego is when I look at something and don't respect it because I believe I am beyond it. The way pride turns into ego is that as I improve I gain confidence - having too much confidence causes me to take certain things lightly. How many times have you seen an underdog come into a fight and simply obliterate the favored fighter because he didn't take the fight seriously.

This is one of the reasons why I think it's so important to have a training log. It gives me a totally impartial perspective on what I did or didn't do. Revisiting that log religiously ensures that I am always focusing on my weaknesses. This is a great way to keep me grounded in having pride in my performance instead of ego in my ability.

I'm a pretty decent shooter but I can improve in every way. The day improvement no longer motivates me is the day I say goodbye to the sport.

[HSMITH]

Great post Jake. Outstanding in every way.

[j1b]

Great thread.

Pride is what pride is. I think Jake put some pretty good parameters around it. At the end of the day pride is what you hang your hat on. Pride implies good. Proud to be an American. Proud to work for so and so. Proud to your father's son.

I don't see many thieves saying they have pride in their profession.

To me, pride is whole and real and should be cherished.

Fear is all too interesting. Fear is an all together different ball game. There's fear of the unknown, which is slightly understandable. We all get it. There's fear of the inevitable. Death is probably the most notable of these. We fear an early departure from this life, and yet we know this life will end. Begs to question if we feel like an extension is that important are we doing what we should be in it???

But it's fear of failure that intrigues me most. Because I believe it is both there, and yet vehemently denied.

To me the one key learning is knowing I am afraid to fail, and then dealing with that. Versus placing that fear on the back burner and then never really addressing the problem. Which then inevitably creates the feared result.

One of my favorite quotes out there is simply this "whether you think you can or you think you can't - you're right"

J

[Siphon Odesse]

If I may, as this thread was so interesting; fear and pride as obstacles - but fear of what? Of performing below your abilities? Or fear that others may see it?

I think I know how you feel. I often have a load of (conscious) thoughts racing through my head as I wait for the beep. Thoughts of nailing the stage, or of not wanting to mess up, or what not.

I suspect I'll never get them completely out of the way, but the last ten or so years, at least I've found some comfort in the following: As an average shooter, during I don't know how many matches I have found that as I'm talking to other shooters about how the match is going (or what went wrong when and where), this is mainly an excercise in politeness. I'll talk about my mishaps or the occasional succesful stage, and the other guy will reply in suit. We'll say "oh, that's too bad" or, "me too; I screwed up so and so". In actual fact, when at a major match, most people are interested pretty much in how they're doing themselves. I'm not saying they're indifferent to what happens to other shooters, but what I am saying is that if you really make a mess of things, and crash and burn in a major way, the one person that is genuinely affected is yourself. That's not to say it's worthless to talk to other shooters; we obviously need to vent our frustrations when things go wrong, and perhaps even to garner some (well deserved)kudos when nailing a stage. I don't see anything wrong in that at all.

But my point is; if I really screw up, no-one but me is really going to care much about it.

I screw up a lot, so I take some comfort in that. (That's of course after the actual shooting, during which I keep working on observing as much as I can..)

Regards,

Siphon

[doc540]

Pride and fear are emotions, which hope for an outcome. Outcomes take your attention from the present, where the shooting happens, to the future. It is totally impossible to do anything the future, because it hasn't happend yet. The key to shooting your best is to be present as the witness of the shooting. Do not judge, do not give yourself anything to live up to. We can only shoot as well as we have trained ourselves to shoot. To try to shoot only induces stress. Be content with your current ability. And accumulate practice to improve that ability. Consolidate, build strength where you feel weakness. We cannot raise our ability until we accept out current limitations. Practice dissolves limitations. Matches simply define where the current limits exist. The game of shooting is all about redefining our limits.

Adapted this piece to my training today and used it in my first class.

Sustituted the word "sell/selling" for "shoot/shooting" and "sales burns" for "Matches"

Experienced some "ah ha's" and had some lightbulbs come on.

thanks again

[Duane Thomas]

The worst thing about ego is that a bad performance doesn't get rid of it once it's there - but strengthens it.

Jake,

What I'm asking is: how does a bad performance strengthen egotism?

[Jake Di Vita]

To me, ego is the root cause of expectations.

I've seen a lot of people expect to do good on a stage - trash it - then throw their whole match away because they try to uphold their image of how they expect to perform.

[downlow411]

Its about being in the moment, not of the moment, not about the moment. Closest thing to me comes from my attempts at being a musician, if you want to play the way you hear your hero's play, you can not listen to your self as you are playing, you can only surrender and play. After there is all the time in the world to try to relive that moment, but its lost. Practice your fundamentals,,,, alot then play each time for the pure pleasure of being in that moment.

The only way to become that world class performer is to put yourself in the mix and become the moment.

JMHO YMMV

[benos]

The worst thing about ego is that a bad performance doesn't get rid of it once it's there - but strengthens it.

Jake,

What I'm asking is: how does a bad performance strengthen egotism?

If you are attached to an idea (ego or self-image) about how well you should perform before you shoot, if you shoot like crap, your self image will become stronger, negatively.

be

[doc540]

The worst thing about ego is that a bad performance doesn't get rid of it once it's there - but strengthens it.

Jake,

What I'm asking is: how does a bad performance strengthen egotism?

If you are attached to an idea (ego or self-image) about how well you should perform before you shoot, if you shoot like crap, your self image will become stronger, negatively.

be

this

[Duane Thomas]

this

Well, that was....brief.

[Sam]

When I'm shooting, if it (ego) is there at all, in any capacity, it will jump up and announce itself at the most inappropriate moment.

[38supPat]

e⋅go   /ˈigoʊ, ˈɛgoʊ/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ee-goh, eg-oh] Show IPA

–noun, plural e⋅gos. 1. the “I” or self of any person; a person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought.

2. Psychoanalysis. the part of the psychic apparatus that experiences and reacts to the outside world and thus mediates between the primitive drives of the id and the demands of the social and physical environment.

3. egotism; conceit; self-importance: Her ego becomes more unbearable each day.

4. self-esteem or self-image; feelings: Your criticism wounded his ego.

5. (often initial capital letter) Philosophy. a. the enduring and conscious element that knows experience.

b. Scholasticism. the complete person comprising both body and soul.

6. Ethnology. a person who serves as the central reference point in the study of organizational and kinship relationships.

Perhaps what we need to do is look to our egos for the positives. We all have egos, we try to deny it or control it but it is a part of our makeup. If you look to most professional sports, you'd be hard pressed to say that the top atheletes do not have huge egos. Yet they still perform at high levels. Why? Ego in itself does not necessarily mean you see yourself as more than you are. It can mean that you are totally self absorbed, this is not a bad thing. One book I have on race driving makes it clear that unless you are totally self absorbed you have little chance of success. This means you have to willing to give up anything and everything in order to succeed. Family, money, friends are all distractions. It doesn't mean you can't be a good friend or have a great family life, only that they take second place to your ambition. If your ego gives you the confidence to do what you are capable of doing, thats a positive. If you are deluded into pushing beyond your capabilities, it's not ego but a false sense of self. Maybe you only keep track of your best runs in practice, maybe you like to exaggerate your scores to friends. If you let these become beliefs in your abilities, it is not ego, it's a falsification of yourself.

If your ego is easily bruised your ego is probably not stong enough. If you truly have confidence in your ability, someone elses criticism should not have an effect on you. Of course when other see that their critisism has failed to shake you they will see you as having a big ego...which is true! On the other hand, gushing praise of your performance should also not shake your ego or fool you into false belief of your abilities. A good strong ego should keep you in check.

Ego should not tell you that you can do a reload in "X" a draw in "Y" or a stage in "Z" only that you are capable of stepping into the boxes and doing what is required to the best of your ability, it is confidence in your self.

Perhap we need to worry less about ego and more about false ego.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Sam]

I think I understand your point Pat. Instead of denying the ego, accept it and live with it?

I accept that living with my ego is sort of like living with Dennis the Menace.

[38supPat]

I wouldn't say accept it and live with it, that still has the connotation that is a bad thing to be dealt with. I'd be more likely to say discover it and use it to your advantage.

[benos]

I wouldn't say accept it and live with it, that still has the connotation that is a bad thing to be dealt with. I'd be more likely to say discover it and use it to your advantage.

Yes.

Don't attach good or bad judgements to yourself.

Instead, get to know your self by noticing your thoughts about yourself as often as possible. And keep letting go of the thoughts that are not benedicial to you as soon as you notice them.

The more you do that the more that becomes a natural way of living. The reason we don't due that is mostly due to the force of habit. And nothing dispels a bad habit faster than attention itself.

be