Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court

Hatred

Hatred motivates only briefly. It is a variation of rage or anger and is a result of emotionalism. Emotions aren’t lasting. When emotions take over, reason flies out the window and prevents you from functioning near your level of competency. Mistakes occur when your thinking is tainted by excessive emotion.

You may refute that in a sense by saying that love is an emotion and it is productive. But isn’t it true that when you’re in love, really in love, your ability to reason may be somewhat reduced? Of course, I can only speak for myself on that issue.

Generally, to perform near your level of competency your mind must be clear and free of excessive emotions, such as hatred.

Unless you’re attempting to run through a brick wall, excessive ...