Growing up, I was often lectured on the realities of life, including the inevitable fact that "choices have consequences."
And yet, it often feels like we live in a world where a large number of people operate under the assumption that the consequences of their actions are largely optional. Ask yourself how often someone you know has done something ill-advised, which has then gone wrong... and the first thing out of their mouth is a long story that begins with the words "But I didn't THINK... blah, blah, blah..."
Much of the time, everything that follows "But I didn't THINK" is pretty much irrelevant...
What's more — by hook and by crook — they'll push the agenda that their crazy and not well thought out choices will result in your consequences. And, of course, they surround themselves with people who enable that belief system.
But choices always have consequences, even when it might feel like someone has "gotten away" with something... or they have somehow escaped dealing with the clusterfnck that trails them.
Not Always Obvious and Ominous!
Of course, the above words describe when consequences might be obvious and visible to everyone around.
But we also make lots of seemingly harmless choices that — all the same — have various almost invisible consequences. We don't tend to think very much about those. Sometimes we're not even aware that they exist.
Consider, for example, that when you choose to take a three week vacation to explore Iceland, the consequence might be that you don't get to take a three week vacation to explore New Zealand... which had also been a dream of yours.
Or maybe the "consequence" is closer to home: Because you blew your savings on the Iceland trip — which was amazing — you can't afford to pay for the major car repair that suddenly comes up, to the tune of $2,000, shortly after you return and are back at work.
I'm a Cynic...
Of course, I look at these scenarios through the cynic's eyes, and will actually assert that we're usually not at fault here, when we overlook our consequences.
After all, we live in a society and world which is oriented towards nobody thinking things through.
After all, that same society depends on us consuming, without thinking, for its lifeblood. If everybody was suddenly rational and responsible, much of the consumer economy would simply collapse. We'd be fixing our cars instead of buying big screen TVs, and we'd be paying off our credit card debt, rather than taking trips to Bora-Bora which we can't afford.
The "Other" Consequences...
Which brings us to the point of the other — or positive — consequences of our choices; the ones we get to experience when we choose the "boring" and less attractive option, kick ourselves for not being more adventurous, but end up getting an unexpected long term benefit.
Most humans aren't so good at those, because we've been "trained" for instant — rather than delayed — gratification.
Some of us are actually good at those... in my case, because my primary life skill is relentlessness rather than brilliance, talent, ambition and the like. I'm a marathon runner, not a sprinter!
Regardless, pretty much everything we do has consequences, regardless of whether we want it, or not.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great remainder of your week!
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Created at 2024-03-13 01:40 PST
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STOPNo truer words ever penned!