Reflection on Reflection

As a follow up to my previous post on some of the major concepts of philosophy, I've included below some of the thoughts on reflection I've contributed in my current grad class:

Reflection is closely tied with questioning, because it requires the question of how well did I do this? And it's rare, like deep questions, because reflection itself implies that there is a better way. Few want to admit that, and fewer still believe that it's even a possibility. Reflection barely has a chance in American society; it screams of weakness, not of the American way of self-reliance and strength.

One huge challenge that I find in terms of reflection is striking a balance between acting and reflecting. Reflecting is somewhat counterintuitive. Action is celebrated - we are told to do, to accomplish, to win, to work hard. Few are the pep rallies motivating us to slow down and ponder. But effective action requires reflection. With too much action and not enough reflection, the action suffers. The doer becomes mediocre. On the other side, an individual who is constantly reflecting can be paralyzed by self-doubt. Then all of the reflection goes for naught - no improvements can be made on a lack of action (call it the Hamlet syndrome). As with most things in life, balance is key.

Reflection requires a couple of commodities that are increasingly rare in our society as well. One of them is quiet. It's impossible to reflect with a constant stream of messages being inflicted on our brains. Whether its our kids, the TV, the phone, our students, or the radio, our world is filled with noise. And for the most part, we like it that way. We look busy, feel productive, and get entertained. It's a world we've created, consumed, and now demand; it just isn't an environment that allows for a lot of think time.

The other commodity is honest feedback and criticism from people who want the best for you. Rare is the friend who is willing to risk the relationship telling you what you need to hear. Rare is the co-worker willing to deal with the confrontation present in telling a peer they need to do a job better (or at least differently). Rare is the spouse who, instead of complaining to their friends about their beloved, confronts the problem directly in humility. Conflict and confrontation carries with it such emotional baggage that most find it more expedient to say the easy thing. Reflection in all areas of life requires honest outside eyes to show us where our biases have led us astray.

I also believe that reflection is the burden of leadership. Most people have the option of engaging in reflection or not, but not leaders; leaders are not only responsible for their own development, but that of many others as well. When I think about the areas in my life that I spend the most time reflecting, it is those in which I'm in a leadership position. It's my job as a father to lead my family well, and I am in constant reflection regarding what I can do better in that category. As a basketball coach, not a game goes by when I'm not reliving the game, play by play, decision by decision, while I lay in bed late into the night trying to figure out how to reach potential. The classroom is another place that demands my reflection, as I don't want to cheat my students. If one is called on to lead, he/she must figure out how to reflect effectively.

On a related note, reflection in all of us seems to be motivated by having someone to answer to (players, students, boss, family, etc). For Christians, this includes God. A higher power, and prayer to that higher power, causes those of us who are religious to reflect on our spiritual life, as we are certainly answerable to Him. In my life specifically, but also in others whom I’m around, it seems that when we’re only answerable to ourselves, we reflect less. We’re willing to let ourselves down much more quickly than letting others down. I’m sure I reflect regarding items that only affect myself; however, if I’ve got to choose, I’m also going to default to those areas that affect others. Wise or not, I don’t know.