Being a victim of ambiguity / equivocalness
This is a rather new mental approach to any sport. So we invite you to read this carefully. Through old teachings from the East, equivocalness is a way of looking at things, even a way how you live. This way is considered a prison of the mind and heart for all human beings. It is thinking in terms of good or bad, black and white. Thinking like this prevents any human being from living with an open pure mind in freedom, unity and acceptance. Equivocalness also indicates you are valuating things on a scale. And by doing so you have the habit of comparing the outcome with yourself in order to state things or to see if conditions are for better or for worse. Inevitably this will always lead to disappointment and a failure. The solution lies in freeing yourself from it.
Is there a way for non-ambiguity / non-equivocalness in our world of sport?
Yes there is. But the person involved should get rid of thinking in terms of winning or losing. There is a way to surmount ambiguity, and yet still be able to be motivated to perform. The catch is that the individual is not participating to achieve something, but rather more on the how or the action (playing). This image fits in the Tao or Dao. This old Chinese philosophy is not putting the emphasis on the target (winning), but more on how you proceed (the how).
It can be said that ambiguity is yet to be discovered by many of us. But holding on strongly to winning or losing quite often leaves you broken and disappointed, while others will be thrilled with happiness. Not only the aspect of winning or losing, but also the way you look at your opponent is a clear example of the ambiguity that can lead to your defeat. Don’t be intimidated by it. Being impressed by your opponent creates pressure. Try to prevent saying ‘I have lost, but he was the best player of the tournament.’ No doubt you already started thinking like this during your match, preventing you from performing well.
Free yourself form the idea you are playing against an opponent. Actually he or she is never taking part of the game while you are playing. And each time you enter the table you have to deal with the actual situation.
Another perfect example of ambiguity is the way we look at a ranking situation. Yes, we admit that the one on top is considered to be better than the one below. But still every match has to be played. Yet, many of us are draining all possibilities of performing well while playing against someone who is positioned much higher on the ranking. Not to mention the opposite. When you play against a player much lower on the ranking. Be very careful of overestimating yourself or underestimating your opponent. It can lead you to being careless on the snooker table. While making mistakes you can startle a bit and your opponent could gain mental advantage. And before you know it you find yourself in a losing position.
We can see this e.g. in tennis as well. Winning the first set with 6-1. Losing the second with 2-6 to clinch the match with a final 6-4 run. How can someone be so convincing and winning the first, losing the second with such a difference? Easy. It is all in the mind.
In team sports the same thing happens, but on a collective level. E.g. football. Leading 2-0 with only 15 minutes of play. You see players losing their focus and brightness. They think they will win the match. How many times have we seen the opposite? Or working towards a draw and in the last minute suffering a 0-1 defeat. In snooker it is the same, regardless the level of play.
So how can you prevent this?
Focus! Stay tuned and don’t get intimidated. Do your job, regardless the situation, regardless the circumstances or opponent. When you suffer from a short decline or set back of the mind be very careful. Before you know a mistake will happen, a foul, a miss … and chances turn against you. So stay focused, always! The moment you start feeling too relaxed you are about to sign your own downfall. Remember this can be triggered by just one shot, one lapse of concentration, one disregard, one inaccuracy. One second can turn the whole match around.
We conclude by saying ambiguity / equivocalness can attract and decoy you when you put the
emphasis incorrectly. Know what counts for you. While playing do not pay too much attention on trifles such as your opponent or the target you really need to achieve. Focus on yourself and perform well!