Hey, I have an Idea!! If we live through the poor decision, we'll hopefully have learned something and, just perhaps, that will make us "enlightened"??
" ......If we live through the poor decision, we'll hopefully have learned something.......
Tanya, if that were the case, wouldn't that turn the "bad" decision into a "good" one? In which case, maybe there really aren't any "bad" decisions after all, John. :-)
Obviously he was completely in his right mind. There must have been nothing left.
The chasm is always greatest between between your ears and is split precisely in the middle by the razor's edge of realty. The perpetual question of balance between emotion and logic. Sometimes the expectation or the possibility for success is greater than consequence of failure.
Humpty was pushed. Who pushed him? His friend or his courage and desire to achieve success? Or do you expect us to fall for the possibility that he simply fell for a bad idea?
Each of us A cell of awareness Imperfect and incomplete Genetic blends With uncertain ends On a fortune hunt that's far too fleet
You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill I will choose a path that's clear I will choose freewill (peart)
A lot of ideas are rejected out of hand on the basis that they're dumb. Are we always wrong when we label an idea that way? If a person acts upon a dumb idea with an adverse outcome, I contend that the idea was dumb AND the decision was poor.
"If that were the case, wouldn't that turn the "bad" decision into a "good" one? In which case, maybe there really aren't any "bad" decisions after all, John."
Norvona, it still would have been a bad decision with a good result.
John, I've been in the "idea" business for decades. No idea is "dumb" and without value. Admittedly, some will not grow up to have as much value as others.
It's like asking a kid in third grade a physics question and then deciding he'll never be a scientist.
I wonder if we all have a quota of poor decisions to make, I know I have made a least a few in my lifetime. Just curious to know if I have meet my quota yet, I hope so.
Ask yourself, "what's the worst thing that can happen if I do (or don't) do this" then make your decision accordingly. Unfortunately, I learned that a little late and am still having to deal with the consequences of some bad decision. But, I did learn and life goes on...
John, I've always figured no one has to go far to find themselves. The hard part is what you do once you've looked in the mirror and seen the scars and the good things...
"Ask yourself, "what's the worst thing that can happen if I do (or don't) do this" then make your decision accordingly.
A good technique, Debra. Thanks
I wish people also asked themselves, "what's the worst thing that can happen if I develop this idea in my mind?" and made their decision after the idea has had a chance to grow up.
Being in the innovation business, I always guessed that the inventor of the helicopter chose to suspend the Law of Gravity temporarily while he played with his idea.
Um, I'm going to disagree with you. The email someone thought was a good idea to send definitely wasn't. Especially when "they" sent it to the WRONG person.
Like thinking about the situation before you raise your hand. I think there are some students who hear the words "There are no dumb questions" and take it as a challenge to prove the instructor wrong.
When I was teaching, I had an example of both of these concepts happen at once - one of the students asked what he hoped was not too dumb a question but he had not read far enough and it was a bad decision - the question was included in the test questions!
I know sometimes a question seems superfluous but occasionally it is not the question that is dumb but rather the inability of the asker to understand the answer in the way it was presented because s/he was not listening correctly and now the mind is set to hear the answer only if it comes in the requested form. If you have ever taught, there is always one (or more) who being told the assignment is on the board will inevitably ask, "What is our homework, classwork, assignment, etc.?" because that student cannot allow himself to be part of the crowd or reading the board is not his/her cup of tea. Directions on a true/false test always bring the question, "Do you want us to circle the T or the F?" I have, on occasion, made a smart-alecky remark like, "Why, no, I'm a psychic and I will be able to tell your answers by touch..." or "Can you read the board?" and I might get laughs or groans but the asker gets no answer. I finally gave in and if needed replied to an dumb question from every class member rather than make the bad decision to assume or allow them to function as a complete student - they can't.
So, sometimes these two come as a pair to assess or avoid or consider. This byte was not a dumb question but not commenting might be a bad decision or not, ummmm, quess that is one of life's little mysteries...
Gee, Donna, I think that answer is beyond my pay scale?
I guess I see it as part of a good teacher's job to assume the question has a reason and to probe sufficiently to be able to answer in a way the asker can understand.
John, Huh? Maybe you haven't noticed. I am the queen of dumb ideas and poor decisions. I can do both. Honest, I'm very talented in that way. The last time it happened I LOL'd for a week. :o)
I'm with Judi. At least my bride is. She (not Judi) points out my dumb ideas on a regular basis. Thinking she (my bride) would appreciate me pulling weeds in her flower beds was one dumb idea.
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Comments: 103
Inquiring minds want to know.
Snicker.
This inquiring mind is going to bed. On the 'morrow.
Tanya, if that were the case, wouldn't that turn the "bad" decision into a "good" one? In which case, maybe there really aren't any "bad" decisions after all, John. :-)
The chasm is always greatest between between your ears and is split precisely in the middle by the razor's edge of realty. The perpetual question of balance between emotion and logic. Sometimes the expectation or the possibility for success is greater than consequence of failure.
Humpty was pushed. Who pushed him? His friend or his courage and desire to achieve success? Or do you expect us to fall for the possibility that he simply fell for a bad idea?
Each of us
A cell of awareness
Imperfect and incomplete
Genetic blends
With uncertain ends
On a fortune hunt that's far too fleet
You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice
You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill
I will choose a path that's clear
I will choose freewill
(peart)
The guy on the cliff or the guy in the air, Steph? :)
Enlightenment has happened in weirder ways, Tanya.
Norvona, it still would have been a bad decision with a good result.
"Or do you expect us to fall for the possibility that he simply fell for a bad idea?"
No, I'm saying there are no bad ideas.
Assuming you mean "vetted" Linda, I'd say every decision can benefit from a thorough vetting.
Ideas are too fragile to survive the process.
We have a tendency to vet too early — a mental "rush to judgment," if you will.
John, I've been in the "idea" business for decades. No idea is "dumb" and without value. Admittedly, some will not grow up to have as much value as others.
It's like asking a kid in third grade a physics question and then deciding he'll never be a scientist.
Jenn, some might say that we all learn the hard way, we just don't always remember the process.
The people I worry about are the ones who don't learn the hard way.
David, I think we've all written that book — or at least a few choice chapters.
LOL Robert. Thanks.
(Love the shades!)
John the new is full of poor decisions...
Sia, we call them "experiments."
Wouldn't that be wonderful, Kris.
I'm afraid it's open-ended.
Jerri, a brilliant strategy that works with everything except Thought~Byte No. 119
John, I've always figured no one has to go far to find themselves. The hard part is what you do once you've looked in the mirror and seen the scars and the good things...
I see this a little differently. The hard part is seeing the scars (and for some people seeing the good things, too).
Awareness is the beginning of change in my mind. There's a lot of resistance to both.
A good technique, Debra. Thanks
I wish people also asked themselves, "what's the worst thing that can happen if I develop this idea in my mind?" and made their decision after the idea has had a chance to grow up.
Being in the innovation business, I always guessed that the inventor of the helicopter chose to suspend the Law of Gravity temporarily while he played with his idea.
Very dumb idea.
I think there are some students who hear the words "There are no dumb questions" and take it as a challenge to prove the instructor wrong.
Good example. Thanks.
Especially when we make the same decision over and over.
When you're right, you're right.
I know sometimes a question seems superfluous but occasionally it is not the question that is dumb but rather the inability of the asker to understand the answer in the way it was presented because s/he was not listening correctly and now the mind is set to hear the answer only if it comes in the requested form. If you have ever taught, there is always one (or more) who being told the assignment is on the board will inevitably ask, "What is our homework, classwork, assignment, etc.?" because that student cannot allow himself to be part of the crowd or reading the board is not his/her cup of tea. Directions on a true/false test always bring the question, "Do you want us to circle the T or the F?" I have, on occasion, made a smart-alecky remark like, "Why, no, I'm a psychic and I will be able to tell your answers by touch..." or "Can you read the board?" and I might get laughs or groans but the asker gets no answer. I finally gave in and if needed replied to an dumb question from every class member rather than make the bad decision to assume or allow them to function as a complete student - they can't.
So, sometimes these two come as a pair to assess or avoid or consider. This byte was not a dumb question but not commenting might be a bad decision or not, ummmm, quess that is one of life's little mysteries...
I guess I see it as part of a good teacher's job to assume the question has a reason and to probe sufficiently to be able to answer in a way the asker can understand.
BTW There are no poor decisions that can cause laughter for a week.
Rest easy
PS. Evil Kneivel was a hoot.
PS. A hoot he was.
Trying to use it to clear the cliff — bad decision.