I do not consider myself a writer or a clinical psychologist in regards to how people think or act when facing a life altering event but after many encounters in my law enforcement career, I have realized your state of mind determines whether that event truly alters one’s life. I know everyone has prepared for writing a resume, a proper cover letter or statement of interest along with interview preparation for a job that is wanted. We sit down behind our computer and research best resume formats. Potential questions asked by a potential employer for an interview. I know that when a responsibly armed citizen makes the decision to arm themselves they seek proper training and sustainment training. Marksmanship is a perishable skill and should be trained regularly, but do we truly focus on what will allow us to “win” that life altering event? What is this focus? Our Mindset!
Do we train our mind?
Many of us go to the range on a monthly, weekly or even a daily basis. We practice and engrain the fundamentals, the proper sight picture, grip, stance, shooting on the move and proper trigger press to not disturb the sights that are properly aligned with our intended target. This training is great and we should continue these practices but think to yourself, “Have I properly trained my mind for the moment in which I must press that trigger to the rear, while my sights are aligned on something other than paper?” I know that early in my career I was told about the proper mindset and it was an important aspect but I never truly gave it the training I thought I did.
Inherently, human nature is to look at the good in everything we come across on a daily basis. We do not want to see the evil that this world possess and tend to look the other direction when this trouble is on our own backyard. Lt. Col. Dave Grossman is a leader in the mindset category. He talks about a time when speaking with a veteran about mindset. The veteran stated to him, “Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident.” “Then there are the wolves,” the old war veteran said, “and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy.” And finally, “Then there are the sheepdogs.” “I live to protect the flock and confront the wolves.” The point of this article is not to restate Lt. Col. Grossman. Look him up. Read his books. Listen to all his seminars on YouTube. You will be a better educated person for doing so. It is to help you define the person you wish to be. A sheep, a wolf, or a sheepdog. I know that I prefer to be the sheepdog. But like many, there is nothing wrong with being a sheep. It is your choice.
So, what should we be looking at or thinking about in order to train our minds to “WIN” the life altering event or deadly force encounter? The answer to this question is up to each of you. I cannot say read this or listen to that and you will be prepared. I can however, offer some items that I have learned to help aid you in training your mind.
- Ask yourself, “If I have to pull the trigger to save the life of another or myself, can I do it?Can you prepare for the aftermath of the event? If the force needed was enough to take ones’ life, can you deal with the psychological factors of death?
- You have to be accountable for any and all force used against another. Can you articulate that force that was necessary during your life altering event? Can you articulate this in front of an Officer? A Jury? A Defense Attorney?
- Most importantly, if you are hit, cut with a knife or shot, can you mentally overcome the trauma and continue to the “WIN” the fight? Can you plug one wound with a finger and fire with the other to stop the innocent from becoming the Wolf’s next victim?
The human body is an amazing thing. If our mindset is right, our body will outlast and overcome anything that we may throw at it. If our mind fails, our body will follow. The answers to many of these questions are answered in Grossman’s book, On Killing. No, I am not being endorsed or receiving a kick back to referring all of you to Grossman. He is passionate about these topics, is a psychologist and subject matter expert. This was the first book in which I read that has helped in the training of my personal mindset. There are many books, videos and articles that talk about the human brain and the psychology of people in society today and how to develop the “warrior mindset.” The importance of this article is to get all of you to think about this aspect of training and to start the vital learning process to develop your mindset. You must be on the right path if you have read this article thus far.
Exercise. Did you just say exercise? I know that is a difficult word but it is an important aspect in training our minds. We have to train our body. Physical fitness plays a role in our mindset. Bruce Siddle linked the theory between performance and heart rate noting the following:
- At 115 beats per minute – Fine Motor Skills Deteriorate
- At 145+ BPM – Complex Motor Skills start to Deteriorate
- At 175+ BPM – “A warrior can expect to experience auditory exclusion or loss of peripheral vision and depth perception. This initiates a catastrophic failure of cognitive processing capabilities leading to fatal increases in reaction time or hyper-vigilance (freezing in place or irrational acts).”
Physical conditioning has many benefits. Increased endurance, strength, flexibility and protection to the body against injury. With increased endurance, we can help lower the elevated heart rates shown above to greatly enhance our capabilities under stress. With proper physical conditioning, one can have an increased resistance to stress and be able to think clearer while under stress. This does not only helps us with tactical situations or use of force incidents, but everyday life. The effects of stress on a person is another article itself. I have heard this saying before, “A healthy body, A healthy Mind.”
So, you have figured out whether you are going to be a sheep, wolf or sheepdog. You have conditioned your body to help you perform better under stress and elevated heart rates. What else do you have to do help train your mind? There are many tips and tricks to help and many other answers to this question. I would highly recommend the book, Warrior Mindset by Dr. Michael Asken. The book is coauthored by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman and Loren Christensen. Another key item that I believe should be in everyone’s tool box, is situational awareness. Be aware of what is around you. Can you answer this question the last time you pulled into a gas station; how many people were standing by the door of the Gas Station when pulled in? Did you see the guy following you to your vehicle because your nose was in your cell phone? Answer these questions. Train your Mind. Be a Sheepdog!
Kraig Kincaid
References: Warrior Mindset – Michael Asken
Sharpening the Warriors Edge – Siddle (1995)
LTC (RET) Dave Grossman – The Warrior Mindset, On Sheep, Sheepdogs and Wolves
