INTROSPECTION: WHO NEEDS IT?

Being a top sportsman or a top actor for more than 2 decades requires consistent self-discipline.
Both professions are physically demanding. One requires constant fitness regime for different muscles and joints.
The latter, regular tuning of looks and shape to fit diverse roles.
Coupled with their regular schedules, commitments and responsibilities; one can imagine that there is very little scope to go beyond.

Yet, when Sachin and Aamir emphasize on monitoring of mind playing a key role in decision making;
one ought to stop and ask - Am I giving my mind its due?

Please note the usage of term "monitoring of mind"(and not just mind) playing a key role in decision making.
Aamir analyzes his available mental capacity(calling it mindspace), before agreeing for an interview.[1]
Sachin, in order know whether his body movement is co-ordinated while playing, analyzes the states of his mind across overs and sessions as he is batting.[2]

This brings me to the subject in question...
"Introspection is the process of examining the thoughts and feelings of one's own mind.(Oxford)"
Cardinal questions being, What do I feel? Why do I feel it?[3]
Etymological meaning - See inward.

Having endeavored the same myself, it does require hard work... But is definitely not impossible.

So lets start studying causality of emotions. Comparing the same to other, more easily observed phenomena.
When we feel hungry, we know its because I haven't had food. Therefore this sensation of hunger occurs.
When I get hurt, I know that the pain comes from wound - and need to Bandage, even if this leads to more instantaneous pain.

Emotions too have causes, but due to their more subtle nature, these are more likely to get misinterpreted.
Therefore, its imperative that one is ruthlessly honest in analyzing them.

Often, the trigger for an emotion is the perception of an external object and its lightening like automatic association, causing a psychological sensation(of pleasure or pain).
I enter the classroom, and see assignments being collected. Realize that I forgot to complete mine, and the mental response is scare of the strict teacher. The activity itself is too fast paced. And one cannot know the causal factors involved immediately. They have to be consciously sought via retrospection.

So lets look back and try tracing the root cause.
Is it the assignments and the fact that they are being collected?
If it was ONLY that, then even the sweeper cleaning the classroom will feel scared.
Is it that the teacher is strict?
If it were so, even the students who have completed the assignment should feel afraid.
Is it because I have not completed the assignment that I am scared?
If so, then I would have been scared even while I was in bus. Because then too my assignment was not completed.

Therefore, its not any one factor; but the combination of factors - an existential cause of assignments being collected, my evaluation of teacher as strict and my corresponding recollection that I haven't completed the assignment that cause this emotion...!

Similarly, I feel elated on winning a gold medal.
Is it just the medal? Then even the 5 year old in the audience should be as happy.
Its the medal, plus the fact that I practiced so hard, and me strongly valuing that effort.
Thus here too, its the combination of a percept, and psychological evaluation(done earlier) that causes elation.

Emotions are a frequent occurrence. Most times causes are subtle-numerous, and only the person experiencing it can identify, recollect and interpret it correctly.
(Psychiatrist may interpret extreme behaviors. But still, recollection has to be first-hand. Plus here I am focusing on "more regular" pleasure/pain phenomena).
In sharp contrast, physical phenomena like rain can be explained easily owing to complete psychological detachment (and relative advancement) of the subject in question.

Introspection, by its very nature of looking inside and in past, can detach one from immediate surroundings and moment.
Therefore its important that major portion of analysis happens in the environment of solitude.
However, like first aid, some aspects need to be immediate.
Whenever significant intensity emotions occurs...
From the standpoint of introspection, I can lock in the immediate circumstance(assignment collection in the morning class), and prima facie nature of emotion(Shock).
Plus give my conscience standing order to come back to other phases of introspection in solitude.

So whats the use, one might ask.
Well, we may not become Sachin or Aamir in our profession, yet one is far better off in such case.
Let me explain why...

Success or failure of a person ultimately depends on his or her method of thinking; and actions one undertakes after the thought process.
(Degree of action and result of course, can vary from single day to a lifetime).
And therefore, the better one understands the workings of his mind, more competent he or she becomes in planning and prioritizing their activities.
More specifically, analysis of emotions can help one know the external objects that he holds
significant enough for consideration.(assignment or gold medal).
Clarify ones own evaluations of external entities.(Strict teacher, non-completion leading to bad grades;
medal as the result of effort, and opportunity to get into higher league).
And how one responds in crisis.(Do I acknowledge my mistake or put a wrongful blame. OR conversely, taking undeserved guilt or hedonistic elation out of proportion with the action).

Based on these facts, required corrective actions can then be taken by an act of will.

True, its possible that I can misinterpret emotions even after isolating the causes honestly. But like any other activity, here too practice and persistence(along with right ethical code) can minimize error and improve efficiency - and one is always better off in consciously analyzing such complex process, than let it be further misinterpreted by what others say and the subsequent, more lethal emotions.

Finally therefore, choices we make, leads us to the destinies we take.
And content of our own mind is what enables us to make such choices.
Discovering the nature of that content, therefore becomes an important task.
The better that content is understood, more meaningful and implementable ideas become.
.......But for that, there is one pre-conditional choice - Choosing to Introspect.

[1] http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood...iew-230507.html
[2]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAPEsPdwubY...feature=related [9:20]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWZLuuabGs4...feature=related
[3] http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/introspection.html