We think before we act because we want to minimize the risk of failure. We want to know it's gonna work. But most often, we're not betting the bank or risk going to jail. So what is failing really?
It's a hit to our reputation. We fear others might think less of us when we haven't made our idea work. That we weren't smart, well-liked of savvy enough. But, if an idea doesn't attract many people, there are also not many people that find out about it or that'll be disappointed.
Or, we fear that we'll waste our time. But really, that's reputation again. Assuming the idea isn't a project to get to first levels of security, we fear falling behind comparatively and not scoring as many successes as others.
And it's paradoxical. While culturally, we put exactly those on a pedestal who succeed by innovating, at the same time, we're ready to cut their legs from under them. We feel resentment towards those that are too successful, because they remind us of our own unfulfilled dreams.
So don't fail. But don't succeed too much. It's an impossible delicate dance to please everyone. So don't.
Now, I'm not saying act for the sake of acting. A good experiment doesn't fail because of the eventual outcome, but because it hasn't been set up properly. Pausing to think has its place. But our biases towards inaction are so strong, most often you can better act.
Waiting until you know for sure your time is gonna be well spend and everyone will love it is a surefire way to waste your time.
The red thread in the conversation Rosa and I had was our different default approaches. She acts. Period. I think. Unfortunately, often, period. Both have a downside in their extreme. It's a balance. But I think most of us have been taught (or conditioned) to overvalue thinking. So when in doubt, go faster. Listen here.
