The question of guilt

You miss, and just like fingers from a bowstring, the corresponding emotion detaches itself from deep within us, is released, sets in motion, and yet remains attached to us.

What this text is about is probably the most recognized problem in our society. Yes, you read that right, a recognized problem. It's about the question of guilt and how this question affects us, our hobby, and ultimately our entire lives. First of all, I'd like to briefly explain what I mean by "recognized." You've probably had a conversation with another shooter about a bad experience on the range. Something like an unfair scoring system or a shooter who distracted you during a shot. Perhaps you've noticed that the more emotional the experience, the more we tend to clearly assign blame. And of course, if someone is feeling bad about a situation and they justify it, perhaps even with a clear explanation of the perpetrator and the victim, we often tend to automatically confirm it. We think we're offering comfort and sometimes we truly thrive in our role as compassionate people. But does confirming suffering really help us in the long run? In any case, interpersonal support is necessary to help. However, it seems to me that true help is neither always desired nor always offered. The drama triangle, as it is called in professional circles, highlights this problem once again through the interplay of roles of perpetrator, victim, and rescuer. This shows that while we can shift within these roles, only honest reflection and resolution of our own role can ensure a permanent exit from this triangle. This often requires an initially painful perspective on our own part. This does not mean guilt, but rather letting go of the habitual question of guilt, reflecting on and healing our own old, as well as new, experiences and habits related to the respective issue, and accepting and establishing new behavioral patterns. I realize that this path neither seems nor is the easier one. However, if we forget the habitual question of guilt for just a moment, it creates space for something new. It creates space for new questions. Questions like:

Did blaming someone help me physically or emotionally?
Where do I already know this experience, and is it really just about the current situation? And ultimately, the most important thing:
What skills can I develop to make the experience more enjoyable?

It's so easy for us archers to understand that we need to develop our shooting technique, even if that means making some adjustments over time. With everything we learn, we automatically gain more experience, but sometimes it's not just a technique that's needed. In truth, the course doesn't begin with our stance at the stake, but rather with the stance we enter the course.