“In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences.”
Robert Green Ingersoll
“While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” Stephen R. Covey
“Everybody, sooner or later, sits down to a banquet of consequences.” Robert Louis Stevenson
Leaders are responsible not for running public opinion polls but for the consequences of their actions. Henry A. Kissinger
Dr. Kumar taught Philosophy 101, a class in logic, at Murray State University in the early 1970’s. College freshman take Philosophy 101 for a variety of reasons, often not realizing that some of those class sessions would provide knowledge that might takes years, (or even decades) to grow into wisdom.
The classroom was in one of the older buildings on campus. Dr. Kumar spoke with a thick accent, totally unlike the regional dialect, which is slower. Some of the instruction was a bit boring, but there were nuggets in that class, including the logical progression from circumstance to decision to consequence.
In the past we made decisions; choices about how we would think and act. These decisions resulted from education, experience, and our interpretation of the existing circumstances. The circumstances provided facts and feelings that colored our decisions. These decisions created consequences. While we can control our decisions and choices, we can’t always control the consequences, so some risk management is in order. In addition, sometimes we blame our circumstances for our problems. Too many examples exist were people overcome horrible circumstances, so our choices of how we react to them is critical!
Many times, we classify decisions as “good” or “bad” solely based upon the outcome or results. However sometimes we get good outcomes from decisions that might not have been so wise, and visa versa. In any case, decisions produce outcomes with which we must live. Dr. Kumar’s lessons in logic can provide a framework of questions we can use for making solid decisions. Always consider the consequences of decisions, for you have to deal with them regardless of the quality of the outcomes. Use the following questions when planning your business and your life.
- Do I know what I need to know in order to decide?
- What does my experience (or the experiences of others) teach me concerning this decision?
- What are potential consequences?
- Do the potential benefits outweigh the potential risk?
Choose wisely.
Work Hard & Have Fun!™
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