Learning to make good choices.

Post 425 - Life is all about choices. “It is our choices … that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” - JK Rowling.

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson.

1.
I walk down the street.
There's a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I'm lost ... I'm helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

2.
I walk down the same street.
There's a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I'm in the same place,
but it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

3.
I walk down the same street.
There's a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it's there.
I still fall in ... it's a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It's my fault.
I get out immediately.

4.
I walk down the same street.
There's a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

5.
I walk down a different street.

Charlie Munger, the Vice-Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, keeps a file of foolishness … filled with flops and the fatal fumbles that brought them forth. Rather than following the conventional wisdom of identifying and imitating the shrewd decisions that have led to business successes, as chronicled in such best sellers as Good to Great, In Search of Excellence, and Made to Last, he’s spent his time identifying and avoiding the inane decisions that have led to business blunders.

This might be a prudent strategy for everyone to follow. We could assemble our own file, and then refer to and use it systematically when making important choices.