Untitled Document

Blood in the Water

OpEd from the desk of Transporter Editor Reed Hollinshead.

Blood in the Water has a very specific meaning — the emergence of predators and predator practices when blood is spilled. The Killer Instinct is celebrated in a sports context, but aside from a very narrow set of circumstances, that hyper-aggressive mentality really doesn't serve us.

Sensing Blood in the Water usually brings with it a feeling of impending victory when weakness or vulnerability is exposed. But that could be horribly misleading.

Remember, the fighter in the most trouble is the one who thinks he’s winning and doesn’t need to be careful anymore, and the one who believes he’ll get the victory without putting in the work. The most dangerous fighter is often not the seasoned vet who makes the same practiced moves, but the unknown who is unpredictable. They’ll make the move you never saw coming.

Certainly there are times when an “attack-and-subdue” reaction is warranted – often in sports that is the only way to get the upper hand. And in a combative situation where a negative outcome could be disastrous for you or your family, an aggressive attack may be the only real option.

But most of the time, fortunately, that response is not needed.

Restraint is often the best course of action. The idea of leadership is closely associated with concepts like power and authority. Yet, true leadership is often demonstrated by NOT using power when it is within your right to do so, and the opportunity stands right before you. If you had the freedom to act in an aggressive way and did not, you are usually better for it.

True leadership is about developing individuals and building community — concepts that do not mesh with the Blood in the Water scenario.

It’s about moral authority. The Golden Rule our parents taught all of us – Do unto others as you would have it done to you – cannot coexist with a Blood in the Water philosophy.

Our reaction could help lay the foundation for how others act, and it may provide the teachable moment we’ve heard about. If there's something wrong, those with the ability to take action have the responsibility to do so.

Don’t focus on your own feet and get tunnel vision about your own path. Look up now and then and see what is happening around you, and who needs help.

Outside of sports, most predatory things are reviled – predatory lending, sexual predators, etc. When we sense blood in the water, our first instinct should not be to attack and destroy, but to realize that we need to help a person in distress.