Mental resilience

Genetics. Contrary to the feel-good ideal of "all men created equal", the reality is that is anything but the truth.

I have to suggest that life experience (IE:how did your parents handle this sort of "occurence" ?) and training may play as big or bigger role than genetics . If Mom melted down because the centerpiece for her "big dinner" wasn't quite perfect , chances are that the kids will learn the same type of behavior . Parents who exhibit a "we can handle it" attitude are also likely to have children who do too ... Training can also play an important part of how we react . If your first reaction to hearing shots is to take cover , determine source and , decide whether to return fire - that's training . If you fall to the ground blubbering in fear ... My choices in recon teammates would likely have been Boy Scouts -Life or Eagle - because they've proven they will stick with it . Other factors would also apply , including training and having been under fire at some time . Ya don't know what man's gonna do until he's been in that situation .

Certainly experience has some role, but we all have seen folks who are polar opposites of at least one of their parents.

As for reaction to hearing shots, I'd suggest that the "fall to the ground blubbering in fear" is just as much a learned action as "taking cover, determining the source, and deciding whether to return fire". The instinctive reaction to an unexpected loud noise is to startle, what you do after that is learned.

Those I would take with me on a recon mission would have significant training, skills and applicable experience. Those who break easily would not have successfully completed such training.

Those who handle stress well are usually those who are confident that they can even when they don't know exactly how they will. Training and comparable experience definitely develop confidence, but other life experiences do also.

Maturity?

Which is independent of intelligence.

"Life Is like a Box of Chocolates. You Never Know What You're Gonna Get."

-- Winston Gump

I've been surprised by who jumps in to help me in a sudden emergency, and who stands by with a blank stare. One such was a former Navy diver who had told everyone what a hero he was.

Some women including my ex respond very well in a crisis despite having no training. In general I'd pick former submarine crew who are fairly plentiful in high tech, unlike SpecOps vets.

jsw

I think it's a combination of genetics and upbringing.

Recon-ready folks would be on a much shorter list than the general public. 'Course, one could always include some silly screamers as cannon fodder, bait, etc. Some of them might surprise you, others would shrivel and die on schedule.

BTW, what prompted you to bring up this subject?

-- A smile is the shortest distance between two people. -- Victor Borge

It's getting hard enough to just find someone with whom you can have an intelligent conversation. After that, it is refreshing to start a new friendship.

Steve

You don't think that upbringing has anything to do with that? If so, I strongly disagree. Both count heavily.

C'mon, Pete. That concept is supposed to be about freedom, not brain comparison. It means that all people should be given the same chances, not that anyone in the world can teach a quantum dynamic course at college or engineer a new version of space shuttle.

-- A smile is the shortest distance between two people. -- Victor Borge

And even siblings that are opposite in that regard also. But remember only half the DNA is form one parent and then there is the "dominant vs recesive" characteristics. etc. So it's still a big guessing game. ...lew...

Boy is that ever the truth, especially on the internet. :-) ...lew...

Some people are barely getting though life. They cover it by hystericsa and finger pointing. This is magnified by personal feelings of insecurity.

Very few and those would tend to be game hunters.

Wes

-- "Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

I think that this resilience can be improved by training.

Ergo, if one can be taught that it is possible to jump through fire, then other things also seem doable. But it has to be something beyond just being exposed to stress, as some people break down every time they have a stress. I think that the key is to have stress and win over something.

Myself, I do not freak out in emergencies, ever, but some people I know, do.

Oddly enough, the friend who I had in mind as someone I would go to a recon mission, happens to be a game hunter. Interesting observation Wes.

"Ignoramus30509" wrote in message news:2budnc1oaM1l0LvQnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com...

Here's my nomination for an answer to this mental thing....

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

I do that eventually, but not at the _first_ sign of trouble.

Given how inexperienced I am (and the chances of my knees giving out), I wouldn't want to take anyone unless the situation were dire. Tag along behind someone who knows their s**t, even if they're 20 years younger than me, yes. Lead, well, things would have to be pretty well down the tubes before it made sense.

I went to commercial diver's training. My instructor was an ex-Navy SEAL. His name was Bob Mackey. He pushed me until I found out that I had more inside of me than I knew was there. It would serve me well in the next six years of commercial diving, and all the thrills and spills and adventures involved with that. And many times I called on that knowledge that I had a lot inside when I was up against it.

And sometimes, people who would pull you out of a fire crack under the every day stress of a relationship. It's hard to know which way anyone is going to fly on any particular day. Or incident.

Steve

Of course, if you don't *have* the means for returning fire, just taking cover may help.

And -- if there is no cover (flat terrain) and there are other people (targets) around, falling flat may suggest that you have already been hit, and that others are beter targets. :-)

The blugbering, of course, does no good. :-)

Enjoy, DoN.