Are you thinking of a specific thing you did?

But of course, I think we're all familiar with this behaviour. I can think of two common causes:

(a) We're overly optimistic about how well we will act
(b) We act apparently illogically in a crisis when we allow an immediate want (eg. getting further from a mugger) overrule a longer term want (eg. escaping from a mugger) because we don't have time to think, and revert to something instinctive.

We can:

(a) Consider objectively what we're likely to do, taking into account how often we and other people are right about that
(b) Practice the behaviour we want until it becomes automatic.

<vorlon>
Yes.
</vorlon>

LOL. I was actually thinking Vulcan. I remember wondering what the point of Vulcans was -- they obviously had emotions (love, curiousity, etc) or why would they bother to go to strange new planets and rescue their friends? The point being, they didn't let their emotions overrule them, they were rational about how to achieve their emotional aims. Which is what I hadn't realised I ever wasn't when I was young :)