“The way people don’t do things, or don’t do them effectively” (Schiff)
We all face challenges every day and solve them the best way we know how.
However, some challenges leave us feeling stuck, incapable, or perpetually unresolved.
Maybe you’ve spent years waiting for someone else to change, or for yourself to change. You tell yourself, “When I achieve this, then I’ll do what I truly want…” You feel like you’re waiting. And then, unexpectedly, you explode in frustration, surprising both yourself and those around you.
Does this feel familiar?
You have an entire morning to practice, but spend it scrolling social media, then feel guilty. You have a performance or match coming up, but instead of preparing, you spend hours organizing equipment, rehearsing irrelevant routines, or obsessing over minor details. At the end, you realize you’ve done everything but what matters. After a tense rehearsal or match, you leave frustrated because you can’t control the other performers or teammates. You have a critical audition or game, but you procrastinate until the last possible moment. You need to make an important choice regarding your training or role, but instead distract yourself with habits like smoking or snacking. Every time you plan a major performance or competition, something “unexpected” seems to prevent you from feeling ready.
If we are fully in contact with reality, we will make decisions based on real, available data, considering all options.
However, your personal history shapes the way you perceive and experience the world, and how you’ve learned to solve problems.
Where does this lead?
…To a point where your awareness and your ability to perceive what’s truly happening are compromised.
You could make decisions that align with the present, but if the situation overwhelms you, you’re tired, or stressed, you might unconsciously approach it from the mindset of the child you once were. You may get stuck in outdated strategies learned in childhood or adolescence that no longer serve you.
From a child’s perspective, solutions are “magical.” The child believes that if they imagine something strongly enough, it will happen—or that problems will resolve themselves magically. The child thinks, “If I ignore it, it will disappear. If I do this ritual, luck will favor me…”
In performance terms, this might mean believing a role, a piece, or a match will “just work out” without deliberate preparation.
This passive approach can be frustrating. In frustration with yourself and others, you might underestimate your own capacity (and that of others) to solve the problem actively. You deny/omit/edit out parts of yourself that could help: your discipline, patience, focus, creativity… and also the resources in your environment that could help.
This is what we call PASSIVE BEHAVIOUR.
THE 4 TYPES OF PASSIVE BEHAVIORS
If you’ve ever faced a situation passively, you may have noticed these four behaviors in yourself or others:
Doing nothing Over-adapting Agitation Incapacitation or destructive behavior
A passive behavior is a way of trying to resolve a situation that ultimately prolongs it.
GRADES OF PASSIVITY
1st Grade – Doing Nothing:
Sitting idle Staring blankly “Checking out” physically or mentally
In performers, this might look like avoiding practice, skipping rehearsal, or waiting for inspiration instead of preparing actively.
2nd Grade – Over-Adapting:
Anxiety about pleasing others Excessive helpfulness Constantly adjusting to others’ expectations
Over-adapting performers may spend more energy accommodating fellow actors, musicians, or teammates than focusing on their own growth. They anticipate others’ needs rather than concentrating on their own development.
3rd Grade – Agitation:
Fidgeting Nail-biting or hair-twirling Eating or smoking compulsively Performing many irrelevant tasks instead of focusing
Athletes and performers may over-rehearse irrelevant parts, overthink routines, or overtrain in ways that don’t address the real challenge. Energy is mobilized, but not directed effectively.
4th Grade – Incapacitation / Destructive Behavior:
Psychosomatic symptoms (tension, skin reactions) Overworking to the point of exhaustion Substance abuse Outbursts or self-harm
In a performance context, this might appear as burnout, stage fright, aggression toward teammates, or sabotage of one’s own preparation.
HOW TO EXPLORE MOVING OUT OF PASSIVITY
Transition from grade 4 → grade 1:
ADDITIONAL STRATEGY FOR PERFORMERS
- Visualize the challenge fully resolved—imagine a successful performance or match. Then work backward: what decisions, relationships, and actions led you there? What did you do differently from previous attempts?
- Break complex goals into manageable steps. Like school schedules for children, structure your rehearsal, practice, and rest periods to maintain focus and clarity.
- Finally, identify the underlying fear driving your passivity and consciously face it. Integrating this awareness enables you to adopt new, effective strategies for managing pressure.
APPLICATION TO PERFORMANCE:
Passivity, over-adaptation, or agitation can directly harm stage or athletic performance:
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Reduced focus and energy mismanagement
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Heightened stress and burnout
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Inefficient rehearsal or training
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Impaired decision-making under pressure
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Missed opportunities for flow, spontaneity, and creative expression
Conversely, moving from passivity to active engagement restores autonomy, presence, and effective energy use—key factors for peak performance.
Passive behaviors prevent performers from feeling autonomous.
Recognizing and addressing them allows athletes, actors, and musicians to regain control, focus, and presence—maximizing performance potential.
