Preemptive Strike

Prudence 12/23/2019

You would be clever to stop a quarrel before it goes too far. You would be wise to never get in that quarrel in the first place.

A clever person can see that he is out of shape and then takes the necessary steps to get back into shape. It is not easy, but it goes a long ways in preventing future health problems. A wise person knows that it is much easier to stay fit than it is to become fit. Oh, that I was wise when I was younger.

I have had my share of problems. I have spent a good deal of my adult years trying to solve the problems I created for myself as a youth. I have tried to be clever in my solutions. With most problems, the key was to minimize the damage and solve it as painlessly as possible. It doesn’t always work, but it is better than allowing the problem to escalate.

I have saved myself a lot of money by getting out of debt as quickly as possible. But some of that debt, i.e. student loans, I held onto for way too long. Along the way, third parties have given me clever solutions to relieve that burden. But no matter how clever the scheme, there was always a catch. It would sound like a wise choice for me, but it was really clever for them to be the holders of that debt. What I don’t remember is anybody giving me the truly wise advice of not getting into that debt in the first place. How much more money would I have had if I knew the costs of that loan before I got it? It is too late for me to change the past on that one, but I can shape the future for my son when he is old enough.

A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. –Albert Einstein

I always saw Einstein’s quote as too simple. Of course, it is better to avoid problems. Why would one of the smartest people to walk on this planet say something so simple? Shouldn’t wisdom be complex? Shouldn’t we overthink things a little more?

The missions with the greatest success rates are the simple ones. They are easy to understand and execute. Bog them down with too much complex variables, and they will fail. Simplify, simplify, simplify. Keep it simple and reduce the amount of potential problems. Einstein understood this, because he was a master of solving problems. You could be a master at solving problems too, or you could find a way to avoid as many as possible. Choose wisely.