The proposed article is devoted to answering the question of what composure means. For a better understanding, synonyms of this concept will be considered, as well as the reasons on which the presence or absence of this personality quality depends. Particular attention will be paid to the problem of whether it is possible to develop it in oneself and what is needed for this.
Definition
Calmness is a concept that has both positive and negative meanings.
- As a personality trait, it is characteristic of people who are able to make informed, adequate decisions in situations of stress. The latter refers to the stress of the body (from the English stress - stress), its non-specific reaction to external adverse factors.
- In a negative context, composure is seen as the ability to perform cruel acts towards other people or animals without showing any emotions.
To better understand, let's look at both concepts with examples and select synonyms for each.
Landing on the Neva
It was 1963. A Tu-124 plane with passengers on board took off from the Tallinn airport. Even on takeoff, an emergency occurred - the landing gear jammed. The crew commander, Viktor Mostovoy, requested an emergency landing, but the fog that thickened over the city did not allow it to be made. He was offered to sit in Pulkovo, on a spare unpaved lane (Leningrad). While the emergency services gathered at the place of the proposed landing, the liner circled at an altitude of 400 meters, producing fuel. When there were no signs of trouble, another non-standard situation awaited the crew - the fuel gauge turned out to be faulty. When the plane entered the eighth lap, the fuel supply ran out and the left engine stalled, and after a couple of minutes the second one, although the meters showed the presence of fuel.
Having found himself at a distance of 21 km from the airport, the 30-year-old commander of the liner, having retained his composure, made the only right decision - to land on the Neva without endangering the city. Having chosen the site between the Finland and Bolsheokhtinsky bridges, he delicately landed the plane ten meters from one of them. Having made an emergency landing on the river, he saved the lives of passengers and crew. The coolness of the man was amazing. However, eyewitnesses say: Mostovoy was the last to leave the liner, and everyone was amazed - in a few minutes he became completely gray-haired.
So, there are two main indicators of composure: the presence of a stressful situation and the ability to maintain clarity of thinking, which made it possible not to succumb to panic, but to make the only right decision in the situation. We list the synonyms of this concept:
- self-control;
- calm;
- presence of mind;
- self-control;
- excerpt.
The composure here is seen as a personality trait, a character trait possessed by the crew commander.
Episode from "Seventeen Moments of Spring"
The cult film of 1973 left many strong episodes in my memory, one of which is the interrogation of radio operator Kat. The SS Sturmbannführer, who saw him off, uses an inhuman trick against his mother: in order for the scout to hand over Stirlitz, he lays out her baby naked by the window, although he may die from frostbite. At the same time, the fascist himself is nervous, justifying his actions by his duty to the country. Two more Germans are present in the scene: SS-Unterscharführer Barbara Krain and Helmut Kalder.
Let's pay attention to their behavior. Humanity has been preserved in Helmut, he is aware that the child is not to blame and cannot be responsible for the actions of adults. He tries to calm the baby, to resist the actions of Jürgen Rolf. And when this fails, he pulls the trigger to deal with the cruel tormentor of the baby. Barbara demonstrates a completely different behavior. Not a single muscle trembled on the face of a woman who, by nature, was called upon to protect children. In a negative sense, composure is indifference, insensitivity, coldness, insensitivity, apathy, spiritual callousness (synonyms). Extreme is not capable of compassion, she has no emotional response to what is happening. At the same time, according to the script, the woman is only 20 years old.
What doespeople like that? Lack of love and affection in the family, alienation from loved ones, thoughtless fanaticism. Of course, Krain cannot serve as an example to follow, but the actions of Viktor Mostovoy command respect, and many would like to maintain clarity of thought in a difficult situation.
What happens when you're stressed
Why doesn't this always work? The main secret lies in the fact that in conditions of increased stress, the adrenal glands produce the hormone cortisol. It is toxic and has a significant effect on the brain and not only. Cortisol contributes to an increase in heart rate, a change in the level of adrenaline in the blood, and clouding of thinking. Many systems stop working. The main thing in our case is that rational thinking is completely swept aside.
If we admit that composure is the subordination of feelings to reason in difficult moments, then how do individuals manage to do this?
How composure is formed
The formation of this quality, like other character traits, occurs from childhood. If a person is easily irritated, panicked or loses his temper, this becomes a habit - an action in which he begins to feel a need. There are three ways to form it:
- Imitation. If adults do not know how and do not try to control their emotions, then a child will demonstrate similar behavior.
- Multiple repetition of an action. If the child is offered an algorithm of behavior under stress, which will lead to a result, he will also go intohabit.
- Dedicated effort. This is where positive reinforcement becomes important.
So, composure is the ability to subordinate emotions and feelings to reason in difficult situations. What algorithm can be developed for this? Given that the body is undergoing neuro-endocrine changes, the best option is to pause. It should be used to deal with surging emotions: anger, excitement, confusion, etc.
In ancient times, sages, before pronouncing a phrase, arranged for themselves a test of the three gates:
- Before the first one they asked themselves: "Are my words true?"
- At the second gate, the question was: "Are they necessary?"
- At the door of the third, the wise men asked: "Are these words good?"
Only after answering "yes" three times, the sage spoke the prepared phrase aloud.
How to stay cool
Dedicated efforts can also lead to results. What techniques can be used besides the pause? How to develop composure consciously? We offer several ways:
- Paraphrasing. May be applicable if other people's words are a source of stress, including a provocative question. You can buy time with the phrase: "Did I understand correctly that …"
- Soft check or refinement. Additional questions will help both opponents cope with emotions.
- Timeout. If during a pause a person can take a few breaths or count to 10, then heremore time is needed to comprehend what is happening. The opponent can be asked to return to the problem in half an hour, for example.
- Double. Having understood during the dialogue what harsh or incorrect words said, you should focus on this and repeat the phrase differently.
- Speech slowdown. Long pauses in conversation and a slower pace of pronunciation of words relieve tension.
- Designation of emotion. Recognition of those feelings that have taken possession of a person reduces the degree of dialogue: "I'm too annoyed to …"
Daniel Levitin Tips
An American scientist-psychologist promotes the practice of preventive work, when it is analyzed in advance what can go wrong and what unpleasant surprises can occur in a given situation. Surely the actions of Viktor Mostovoy had been practiced many times before in simulators, when options for a possible engine failure were considered. Composure is the ability to curb emotions and give way to the mind, the mobilization of the body, but not the appearance of a ready-made solution out of nowhere.
Therefore, in a calm environment, it is advisable to think over certain actions in advance in case, for example, preventing the loss of valuables, documents, emergency leaving the apartment, etc. To do this, you should determine special places for storing keys, phone, documents, wallet. Photos or copies of documents should be placed on electronic media in order to quickly restore them in case of loss.
