A Mediocre Proverb

“I’m good. School was good, dad. We mainly focused on history today. How we need to remember the decisions that didn’t work out perfectly in the past, so that we can learn from them and improve upon them, to ensure we make decisions that will work out perfectly in the future.”

“Ah, you know history was one of my favorite subjects. There’s so much to remember that one day you’ll forget. What was one of the examples you found?”

“Well, there was one we talked about that really stood out. It was a story – a true story – about one hundred years ago. One hundred years ago there was a debate, whether we should build a new hospital or stadium on the last lot of land near the town center. We had multiple of each, to meet the needs of our elders and serve as entertainment for our citizens. But we knew as we grew that we’d have to continue building to make sure we satisfy our society’s capacity. And so our leaders debated for days into weeks and then to months, and before they’d made a decision, we were already in the midst of the heaviest snow of season, and they had to postpone the construction plans they’d yet to agree to. In the end, it didn’t matter, though. We still had plenty of sports to watch and play, and our existing hospitals treated our oldest just fine. But we could’ve had one more.”

“Of course it was a true story, son. It’s history, not literature. I know it almost reads like a mediocre proverb, but it’s true. Since the end result is the same, it’s futile to spend too much time on a decision. If we want to build a hospital, build a hospital. If we want to build a stadium, build a stadium. If you want to buy something you see online, do it. Your decision won’t have enough of an effect on the outcome to warrant too much contemplation; it’s inefficient. You’ll probably be a little bit happier with the purchase, so do it. It’s hard not to feel fulfilled when you’re filling out a new outfit.”

“Yeah, so what I took home from it was that, in this case, it would have been perfect to make a quick decision and build either the stadium or the hospital, but since we didn’t make a quick decision, we were unable to build either. So next time, the decision that would work out perfectly is the one we choose immediately, because then we get to have one more.”

“That, and also: don’t remember too much or one day you’ll forget.”