Welcome to the Uncommon Communicator podcast, where we are here to bring enlightenment to the topic of communication.
Jocko Wilink calls his ability to detach a super power. He tells a story as a young seal where he was able to look lower his rifle and look at the whole situation to better assess the situation
Detachment as a good thing
Detachment
Jocko realizes that everyone (including himself) tends to use faulty judgment when they let emotions and ego get in their way. By removing these variables, the correct decision becomes much clearer. A tactic he often uses is to “detach himself” from the situation to see things more clearly. For example, when faced with a difficult decision he will mentally remove himself from the situation and pretend he is only a bystander and offering unbiased advice. This will allow him to see the situation in a new light and oftentimes highlight where he went wrong.
Ever notice how you can give your friends great advice but it’s tougher for you to follow your own words of wisdom? That’s because you’re letting emotions and biases come into play when the decision affects you personally. Remove the emotions and make the correct decision.
I often thought that my ability to detach was nothing like a super power.
Attachments
Basically people need human connection and must find a way to fill this need, even when there are no other humans around. Think of Tom Hanks’s character in the movie Cast Away, washed up alone on an island. His best and only friend is a volleyball on which he has drawn a face—with his blood.
The Dichotomy is that we need to be able to detach and know what attachments we need to have for human connection. Too much of either one is not a good thing at all.