"We must have the moral courage to make tough decisions in the face of uncertainty—and to accept full responsibility for those decisions—when the natural inclination would be to postpone the decision pending more complete information. To delay action in an emergency because of incomplete information shows a lack of moral courage. We do not want to make rash decisions, but we must not squander opportunities while trying to gain more information.
Finally, since all decisions must be made in the face of uncertainty and since every situation is unique, there is no perfect solution to any battlefield problem. Therefore, we should not agonize over one. The essence of the problem is to select a promising course of action with an acceptable degree of risk and to do it more quickly than our foe. In this respect, 'a good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.'”
Some opportunities are lost in waiting until you have all of the information. The law of diffusion of innovation suggests that the innovators are the 2.5% who act on little information and take upon themselves a large amount of risk. They live in uncharted waters and blaze trails through territory without maps to guide them. They hack away with a why waiting for them at the other end of the overgrowth. After them come the cartographers who map out where those brave men have gone. These are the 13.5% who adapt early on and jump on board. They are the first to walk behind the trailblazers and reap the advantage of having eyes on the new path. They set up shops and initiate maps and brands which will become common lingo for those who eventually frequent the path. The next 34% are the early majority who get it now that they've seen it done and been convinced that it can work. The next 34% are late to the party, but round out the last of the majority forming the 84% who buy in and ultimately become familiar with the path. By this point, the path is flooded with all of those opportunists looking to capitalize off of what the originals opened up. But the opportunity to do anything new has passed.
All that to say, if you wait until conditions are perfectly predictable, you will miss out on many opportunities. You may still enjoy many good things, but they will be the products of those who braved the unpredictable in order to provide you with them.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
day no. 15,010: adversity as a means of maturity
"We must therefore be prepared to cope—even better, to thrive—in an environment of chaos, uncertainty, constant change, and friction."
Everything has its problems. If you enroll in a math class, the first thing they do is give you math problems. Problems are a part of life. Some are a result of sin, like the thorns and thistles that accompany our efforts, and some are a result of mission, like logistics involved in conquering the world through fruit-bearing and multiplication. Problems are part of the mission and made more complicated because of the presence of sin.
Coming to terms with problems moves you from a fragile state to a place of resilience. Fragility is expecting life to go off without a hitch. Everything is fine... and then all of a sudden, it isn't! That is refusing to cope with the fact of problems... which is its own problem. Resilience is accepting the fact of friction. But that is merely the willingness to deal with the fact of problems in theory and the presence of problems in practice. That is a step in the right direction, but it has yet to reach the intended destination.
The destination is a place where you pursue problems. Fragility hopes difficulty never knocks at the door. Resilience knows better and commits to opening the door. Antifragility opens the door in order to go and invite more problems over for dinner... the right kind of problems, the ones that come with increased production.
Proverbs 14:4
Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
It is madness to be angry at an ox for making a mess in its manger. Wisdom comes to terms with the crap that comes along with the ox. Fragility either keeps its fingers crossed for a crapless ox or kills its ox in order to avoid any more crap. Resilience accepts the fact of the crap, which is a step in the right direction. However, the destination is a place where you purposely purchase MORE oxen in order to plow MORE fields knowing full well that it will mean MORE crap in your barn.
In other words, the goal is not merely to put up with crap, but to joyfully invite as MUCH of the right know of it into your life.
James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
The goal is to thrive in times of change and friction. Many of us would do well to stop wishing for a world without difficulty and to start dealing with a world that is difficult. But we would do better to pursue difficulty and leverage it to our advantage, to grow stronger because of the opposition we face, and to invite adversity into our lives instead of merely accepting it when it tracks us down.
Proverbs 24:10
If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.
Everything has its problems. If you enroll in a math class, the first thing they do is give you math problems. Problems are a part of life. Some are a result of sin, like the thorns and thistles that accompany our efforts, and some are a result of mission, like logistics involved in conquering the world through fruit-bearing and multiplication. Problems are part of the mission and made more complicated because of the presence of sin.
Coming to terms with problems moves you from a fragile state to a place of resilience. Fragility is expecting life to go off without a hitch. Everything is fine... and then all of a sudden, it isn't! That is refusing to cope with the fact of problems... which is its own problem. Resilience is accepting the fact of friction. But that is merely the willingness to deal with the fact of problems in theory and the presence of problems in practice. That is a step in the right direction, but it has yet to reach the intended destination.
The destination is a place where you pursue problems. Fragility hopes difficulty never knocks at the door. Resilience knows better and commits to opening the door. Antifragility opens the door in order to go and invite more problems over for dinner... the right kind of problems, the ones that come with increased production.
Proverbs 14:4
Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
It is madness to be angry at an ox for making a mess in its manger. Wisdom comes to terms with the crap that comes along with the ox. Fragility either keeps its fingers crossed for a crapless ox or kills its ox in order to avoid any more crap. Resilience accepts the fact of the crap, which is a step in the right direction. However, the destination is a place where you purposely purchase MORE oxen in order to plow MORE fields knowing full well that it will mean MORE crap in your barn.
In other words, the goal is not merely to put up with crap, but to joyfully invite as MUCH of the right know of it into your life.
James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
The goal is to thrive in times of change and friction. Many of us would do well to stop wishing for a world without difficulty and to start dealing with a world that is difficult. But we would do better to pursue difficulty and leverage it to our advantage, to grow stronger because of the opposition we face, and to invite adversity into our lives instead of merely accepting it when it tracks us down.
Proverbs 24:10
If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
day no. 15,009: quick and hard, where and when
"“Many years ago, as a cadet hoping some day to be an officer, I was poring over the ‘Principles of War,’ listed in the old Field Service Regulations, when the Sergeant-Major
came up to me. He surveyed me with kindly amusement. ‘Don’t bother your head about all them things, me lad,’ he said. ‘There’s only one principle of war and that’s this. Hit the
other fellow, as quick as you can, and as hard as you can, where it hurts him most, when he ain’t lookin’!’” —Sir William Slim
“Now an army may be likened to water, for just as flowing water avoids the heights and hastens to the lowlands, so an army avoids strength and strikes weakness” —Sun Tzu
As quick as you can.
As hard as you can.
Where it hurts most.
When he ain't looking.
This presupposes a fair fight, meaning both sides know that they are fighting. It is no grand achievement to sucker punch someone who didn't know you were quarreling. However, if the enmity is articulated and agreed upon and both sides know that they are fighting, the advice contained above is a bite-sized battle cry for fighting.
Quick keeps surprise surprising. Hard makes the effort as impactful as possible. Hitting an impenetrable place quick and hard leaves no mark and wears you out. Hitting them where it hurts most, especially if quick and hard, is the best way to exponentially increase the effect of your efforts. When he ain't looking eliminates his ability to subtract any force from the blow, counter attack or discount the amount of force you are using.
All these things combined make for short wars.
So realize that our enemy is looking to employ these principles against us as well. He seeks to be quick and force you to react without thinking. He sends the house in order to take you out in one fell swoop. He aims at your area of weakness and he looks to catch you off guard.
But God has weaponized our weakness
2 Corinthians 12:10-11
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
And there is no reason to be caught off guard or to be unprotected.
Ephesians 6:13
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
came up to me. He surveyed me with kindly amusement. ‘Don’t bother your head about all them things, me lad,’ he said. ‘There’s only one principle of war and that’s this. Hit the
other fellow, as quick as you can, and as hard as you can, where it hurts him most, when he ain’t lookin’!’” —Sir William Slim
“Now an army may be likened to water, for just as flowing water avoids the heights and hastens to the lowlands, so an army avoids strength and strikes weakness” —Sun Tzu
As quick as you can.
As hard as you can.
Where it hurts most.
When he ain't looking.
This presupposes a fair fight, meaning both sides know that they are fighting. It is no grand achievement to sucker punch someone who didn't know you were quarreling. However, if the enmity is articulated and agreed upon and both sides know that they are fighting, the advice contained above is a bite-sized battle cry for fighting.
Quick keeps surprise surprising. Hard makes the effort as impactful as possible. Hitting an impenetrable place quick and hard leaves no mark and wears you out. Hitting them where it hurts most, especially if quick and hard, is the best way to exponentially increase the effect of your efforts. When he ain't looking eliminates his ability to subtract any force from the blow, counter attack or discount the amount of force you are using.
All these things combined make for short wars.
So realize that our enemy is looking to employ these principles against us as well. He seeks to be quick and force you to react without thinking. He sends the house in order to take you out in one fell swoop. He aims at your area of weakness and he looks to catch you off guard.
But God has weaponized our weakness
2 Corinthians 12:10-11
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
And there is no reason to be caught off guard or to be unprotected.
Ephesians 6:13
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Monday, November 25, 2019
day no. 15,008: the mind is an officer's principal weapon
"Finally, every Marine has an individual responsibility to study the profession of arms. A leader without either interest in or knowledge of the history and theory of warfare—the intellectual content of the military profession—is a leader in appearance only. Self-directed study in the art and science of war is at least equal in importance to maintaining physical condition and should receive at least equal time. This is particularly true among officers; after all, the mind is an officer’s principal weapon."
1 Chronicles 12:32
Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command.
To know what's up, you have to know where you're at. To know where you're at, you have to know where you come from and how you got here.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
If you want to topple the towers, you have to know who built them, how they were built and what will keep them from being raised again.
Our weapons are our minds, our worldviews are our battlefields and the Word is our only hope to sharpen the one and succeed in the other.
1 Chronicles 12:32
Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command.
To know what's up, you have to know where you're at. To know where you're at, you have to know where you come from and how you got here.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
If you want to topple the towers, you have to know who built them, how they were built and what will keep them from being raised again.
Our weapons are our minds, our worldviews are our battlefields and the Word is our only hope to sharpen the one and succeed in the other.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
day no. 15,007: a ticket for admission
"A subordinate’s willingness to admit mistakes depends on the commander’s willingness to tolerate them."
We must learn from our mistakes. Part of this involves admitting them. If we don't think we have made a mistake, we won't confess them. If we don't admit them, we can't learn from them and avoid them in the future. But the atmosphere of mistake management contributes to this. It creates a culture in which learning and improvement are goals, so admitting mistakes and teachable moments are encouraged. That environment fosters a willingness to admit mistakes and a willingness to be corrected for a common goal of maturity and wisdom.
If a commander, parent, or pastor, cannot tolerate nonsense of any kind, he will create a great deal more of it... not less. Nonsense of every kind will increase off grid. It will still be happening, only he won't know about it. It will be done in the darkness and it will encourage more of it because it cannot be corrected in the light. It will spread in the petri dish of darkness and grow worse, producing even more of the very thing expressly not tolerated.
You can erase mistakes through ignorance or forgiveness. Ignorance removes them by increasing them somewhere else. Forgiveness removes them by erasing them in your presence. In other words, ignorance doesn't actually do what it's attempting. It reduces the number of sins you see and increase those you don't. Forgiveness insists on seeing the sin and reduces those that are hidden.
So if foolishness and mistakes are to be decreased, they must first be given the opportunity to be confessed. And as if admitting you were wrong was not difficult enough in itself, the added weight of an mistake-intolerant atmosphere makes it all the more less likely. In that home, at that church, in that organization, in that battalion, errors increase, wars are lost, marriages broken, children wounded and community destroyed.
We must learn from our mistakes. Part of this involves admitting them. If we don't think we have made a mistake, we won't confess them. If we don't admit them, we can't learn from them and avoid them in the future. But the atmosphere of mistake management contributes to this. It creates a culture in which learning and improvement are goals, so admitting mistakes and teachable moments are encouraged. That environment fosters a willingness to admit mistakes and a willingness to be corrected for a common goal of maturity and wisdom.
If a commander, parent, or pastor, cannot tolerate nonsense of any kind, he will create a great deal more of it... not less. Nonsense of every kind will increase off grid. It will still be happening, only he won't know about it. It will be done in the darkness and it will encourage more of it because it cannot be corrected in the light. It will spread in the petri dish of darkness and grow worse, producing even more of the very thing expressly not tolerated.
You can erase mistakes through ignorance or forgiveness. Ignorance removes them by increasing them somewhere else. Forgiveness removes them by erasing them in your presence. In other words, ignorance doesn't actually do what it's attempting. It reduces the number of sins you see and increase those you don't. Forgiveness insists on seeing the sin and reduces those that are hidden.
So if foolishness and mistakes are to be decreased, they must first be given the opportunity to be confessed. And as if admitting you were wrong was not difficult enough in itself, the added weight of an mistake-intolerant atmosphere makes it all the more less likely. In that home, at that church, in that organization, in that battalion, errors increase, wars are lost, marriages broken, children wounded and community destroyed.
Saturday, November 23, 2019
day no. 15,006: many advisers, one decision
"Relations among all leaders—from corporal to general—should be based on honesty and frankness regardless of disparity between grades. Until a commander has reached and stated a decision, subordinates should consider it their duty to provide honest, professional
opinions even though these may be in disagreement with the senior’s opinions. However, once the decision has been reached, juniors then must support it as if it were their own. Seniors must encourage candor among subordinates and must not hide behind their grade insignia. Ready compliance for the purpose of personal advancement—the behavior of 'yes-men' will not be tolerated."
Proverbs 20:18
Plans are established by counsel;
by wise guidance wage war.
Generals may be above their subordinates in rank, but the must not be above hearing their opinions. Good ideas do not, by necessity, originate with those of rank.
Proverbs 11:14
For lack of guidance, a nation falls,
but with many counselors comes deliverance.
It is wise to get as much information and guidance as you can when making decisions that affect the lives and deaths of many.
Proverbs 15:22
Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.
No man can foresee every angle or pay proper attention to every detail. We all have abilities and interests, but we naturally see the value of mining the depths of some dimensions while ignoring entirely the benefits of others.
Proverbs 24:5-6
A wise man is full of strength,
and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
But still, there comes a time for a decision to be made, and at that point, the General must make a definitive decision based on the information and counsel provided. To be the General means to be humble enough to hear ideas and confident enough to choose one.
Leaders must be humble enough to hear ideas, yet proud enough to pick one
Trumpkin and Caspian understood this. Trumpkin was a man under authority invited to share his opinion. He shared it. Caspian heard it and decided a different course. Trumpkin did not share insisting that his counsel had to be followed in order to qualify as it having been heard. Caspian was Trumpkin's superior. Caspian was responsible for the nation and made the decision he believed best after hearing Trumpkin's counsel and Trumpkin, in response, fell in line immediately under his head.
"But I thought you didn't believe in the Horn, Trumpkin," said Caspian.
"No more I do, your Majesty. But what does that got to do with it? I might as well die on a wild goose chase as die here. You are my King. I know the difference between giving advice and giving orders. You have my advice and now it's the time for orders"
opinions even though these may be in disagreement with the senior’s opinions. However, once the decision has been reached, juniors then must support it as if it were their own. Seniors must encourage candor among subordinates and must not hide behind their grade insignia. Ready compliance for the purpose of personal advancement—the behavior of 'yes-men' will not be tolerated."
Proverbs 20:18
Plans are established by counsel;
by wise guidance wage war.
Generals may be above their subordinates in rank, but the must not be above hearing their opinions. Good ideas do not, by necessity, originate with those of rank.
Proverbs 11:14
For lack of guidance, a nation falls,
but with many counselors comes deliverance.
It is wise to get as much information and guidance as you can when making decisions that affect the lives and deaths of many.
Proverbs 15:22
Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.
No man can foresee every angle or pay proper attention to every detail. We all have abilities and interests, but we naturally see the value of mining the depths of some dimensions while ignoring entirely the benefits of others.
Proverbs 24:5-6
A wise man is full of strength,
and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
But still, there comes a time for a decision to be made, and at that point, the General must make a definitive decision based on the information and counsel provided. To be the General means to be humble enough to hear ideas and confident enough to choose one.
Leaders must be humble enough to hear ideas, yet proud enough to pick one
Trumpkin and Caspian understood this. Trumpkin was a man under authority invited to share his opinion. He shared it. Caspian heard it and decided a different course. Trumpkin did not share insisting that his counsel had to be followed in order to qualify as it having been heard. Caspian was Trumpkin's superior. Caspian was responsible for the nation and made the decision he believed best after hearing Trumpkin's counsel and Trumpkin, in response, fell in line immediately under his head.
"But I thought you didn't believe in the Horn, Trumpkin," said Caspian.
"No more I do, your Majesty. But what does that got to do with it? I might as well die on a wild goose chase as die here. You are my King. I know the difference between giving advice and giving orders. You have my advice and now it's the time for orders"
Friday, November 22, 2019
day no. 15,005: bringing up boys in boldness, initiative and responsibility
"Boldness is an essential moral trait in a leader for it generates combat power beyond the physical means at hand. Initiative, the willingness to act on one’s own judgment, is a prerequisite for boldness. These traits carried to excess can lead to rashness, but
we must realize that errors by junior leaders stemming from overboldness are a necessary part of learning.6 We should deal with such errors leniently; there must be no “zero defects” mentality. Abolishing “zero defects” means that we do not stifle boldness or initiative through the threat of punishment. It does not mean that commanders do not counsel subordinates on mistakes; constructive criticism is an important element in learning. Nor does it give subordinates free license to act stupidly or recklessly. Not only must we not stifle boldness or initiative, but we must continue to encourage both traits in spite of mistakes. On the other hand, we should deal severely with errors of inaction or timidity. We will not accept lack of orders as justification for inaction; it is each Marine’s duty to take initiative as the situation demands. We must not tolerate the avoidance of responsibility or necessary risk."
There are few better words one could reduce masculinity down to than, "initiative." It is the very essence of manhood. Do something in light of what you know. Adam was given a mission and marching orders and then left to demonstrate his initiative in seeing to the mechanics of making and multiplying. Adam was free from original sin, but that doesn't mean he could not through initiative discover better ways to accomplish what he was doing.
Everything has problems. Problems are not a result of the Fall. An overgrown world in need of a gardener is a problem. Adam was made to solve it. The problems were his playground. Sin did not introduce problems, it introduced new, more problematic ones. Sin did not make Adam's mission difficult, it made it MORE difficult. Difficulty is not inherently evil. It is hard-wired into the way God made the world and initiative is living in light of God's commands, using God's gifts to glorify Him in one's initiatives.
As parents, we must raise our boys to be bold. We must encourage their attempts to take initiative and cheer their boldness. When they inevitably use their initiative or boldness to sin, we correct the sin, but not the boldness. We discipline the sin, but not the initiative. Be careful in correcting men to separate the initiative, which is good, from the particular initiative taken, which may have been bad.
If a boy takes responsibility, but foolishly or sinfully executes the office; efforts should be made to correct the error and discipline the sin, but also to encourage the taking of responsibility. If measures are not taken, we will beat the initiative out of our boys. We will teach them that taking responsibility ends the same as if they hadn't taken it.
You get more of what you incentivize and less of what you penalize.
we must realize that errors by junior leaders stemming from overboldness are a necessary part of learning.6 We should deal with such errors leniently; there must be no “zero defects” mentality. Abolishing “zero defects” means that we do not stifle boldness or initiative through the threat of punishment. It does not mean that commanders do not counsel subordinates on mistakes; constructive criticism is an important element in learning. Nor does it give subordinates free license to act stupidly or recklessly. Not only must we not stifle boldness or initiative, but we must continue to encourage both traits in spite of mistakes. On the other hand, we should deal severely with errors of inaction or timidity. We will not accept lack of orders as justification for inaction; it is each Marine’s duty to take initiative as the situation demands. We must not tolerate the avoidance of responsibility or necessary risk."
There are few better words one could reduce masculinity down to than, "initiative." It is the very essence of manhood. Do something in light of what you know. Adam was given a mission and marching orders and then left to demonstrate his initiative in seeing to the mechanics of making and multiplying. Adam was free from original sin, but that doesn't mean he could not through initiative discover better ways to accomplish what he was doing.
Everything has problems. Problems are not a result of the Fall. An overgrown world in need of a gardener is a problem. Adam was made to solve it. The problems were his playground. Sin did not introduce problems, it introduced new, more problematic ones. Sin did not make Adam's mission difficult, it made it MORE difficult. Difficulty is not inherently evil. It is hard-wired into the way God made the world and initiative is living in light of God's commands, using God's gifts to glorify Him in one's initiatives.
As parents, we must raise our boys to be bold. We must encourage their attempts to take initiative and cheer their boldness. When they inevitably use their initiative or boldness to sin, we correct the sin, but not the boldness. We discipline the sin, but not the initiative. Be careful in correcting men to separate the initiative, which is good, from the particular initiative taken, which may have been bad.
If a boy takes responsibility, but foolishly or sinfully executes the office; efforts should be made to correct the error and discipline the sin, but also to encourage the taking of responsibility. If measures are not taken, we will beat the initiative out of our boys. We will teach them that taking responsibility ends the same as if they hadn't taken it.
You get more of what you incentivize and less of what you penalize.
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