The Reactive Mind

In an email conversation today (the other day now) the post topic came up peripherally--okay, so I brought it up--and afterwards I thought it might make for a worthwhile post. (So here we are.) Everyone (with even a modicum of critical thinking) eventually realizes one of the largest pieces of the puzzle in making "great" players is something we don't often talk about--the mental game. Other than of course you have to be mental to play this game. Our conversation was broadly about the suitability of players to styles of play and I brought up the distinction between the proactive and reactive player types--and all the elements that tend to push players toward the reactive mind. (Not the best choice.) Since we didn't take it any further I'd like to do that here. (Which makes this being my blog rather convenient.)
One reason the mental game remains less thoroughly explored (in all sports) is because it's difficult to discuss. Mere words frequently seem inadequate expressions of what's going on inside the mind. And this will be no exception so bear with me and see if, in the end, this makes any sense to you.
The proactive player is actively (naturally) engaged in controlling the play and making things happen. And if you have learned nothing from competitive paintball you should have grokked by now that it is always better to give than to receive. The proactive mind is totally focused on the game, on the imposition of the player's will and playing the game wholly in the moment. The reactive mind--even when the player wants to be the aggressor--and completely in the moment--is encumbered and inhibits that effort for a variety of reasons. The most common reasons are nature, uncertainty and fear, both singly and as a collective stew. Nature, in this instance, is a function of the gene lottery and what that means in each individual case. Some people are more cautious than others, more thoughtful before they act, more inclined to weigh risk or avoid a mistake and less inclined to make snap decisions. So in one sense the reactive mind is perfectly understandable, rational and no doubt comes in handy on lots of occasions--just not so much playing competitive ball where it causes indecision and unnecessary delay and can cede the initiative to your opponent. But other factors can also trigger the reactive mind like uncertainty and fear. Uncertainty creates hesitation and that is when the reactive mind is engaged. Uncertainty is sourced in any number of concerns but broadly comes down to insufficient information (with which to make an immediate and/or comfortable decision) or a lack of experience--which can amount to the same thing in some situations. Fear works on the reactive mind like one's normal inclinations and uncertainty but also adds a more debilitating component; it also functions at an emotional level. While fear may serve a valuable life preserving function in sport it tends to produce a feedback loop of failure and it doesn't matter whether it's perceived or real. All of which makes fear particularly difficult to overcome. That and the fact that most players who exhibit signs of the reactive mind will deny to themselves and everyone else they fall prey to fear at times.

Next time (maybe) some practical ways to counter the reactive mind.