Uncomfortable Act

I’ve been watching the TV game show ‘Traitors’ a bit lately. It’s an interesting format where a group has to find an unknown number of traitors among them. It’s an interesting insight into how we humans jump to conclusions with certainty, based on minimal information, often following the crowd. One of the most fascinating aspects is how people take actions based on discomfort, rather than needing to act. Over and over in the show, individuals and groups leap into action which is often detrimental, purely because of the discomfort caused by doing nothing or waiting.

I know I have done that many times over my life as well. Acted too early because of the discomfort of not acting. One of the most common places it shows up for me is saying too much or interrupting because I was uncomfortable with silence. Sometimes that has led to a big hole I have both feet in and have to dig my way out of. What about you?

It’s a very useful skill to be in discomfort for a while, rather than leaping to action. It’s even better if you can cultivate the ability to think and observe clearly while uncomfortable.

When and where have you acted too soon? When would it be useful to be uncomfortable longer without acting?