The Greatest Enemies Are Fear And Panic

In the wake of a world gone coronavirus crazy, Broyhill Asset Management shared this excerpt from the US Army Survival Manual. It applies to all of us, in all walks of life, dealing with all types of uncertain situations:

The greatest enemies in a combat survival and evasion situation are fear and panic. If uncontrolled, they can destroy your ability to make an intelligent decision. They may cause you to react to your feelings and imagination rather than to your situation. They can drain your energy and thereby cause other negative emotions. Previous survival and evasion training and self-confidence will enable you to vanquish fear and panic.

James O’Shaughnessy has said that evolution made emotion much stronger than willpower. We descended from the people who ran away from the bustle in the bushes, not the person who stuck around to explore and got killed off. Fear and panic are part of our humanoid programming. Preparation and training are the only ways we can cope let alone be confident.

And that’s what we as professionals have to offer. We put in the work. We studied. We practiced. Now, whenever stuff gets crazy, we are able to recognize that the greatest enemy is poor behavior in the face of the situation. So, on our best behavior, we go out there and help others to weather the storm. Even if our work isn’t as risky as our soldiers’, we can create a world of value by helping people make intelligent decisions when faced with uncertainty.