Weighing the Risks

“The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end.”
― Leon Trotsky, Their Morals and Ours

“It is said that an old woman once asked Mikhail Gorbachev whether Communism had been invented by a politician or a scientist. Gorbachev replied that he was not sure, but thought it was a politician. ‘That explains it’, said the woman. ‘If it had been a scientist, he would have tried it on mice first.’”

That wise villager can teach us all a thing or two about life.

The first thing that comes to mind for me today is this: Is the potential loss worth the risk?

How many times have you seen this…

A young woman meets that dashing young man (ignoring the obvious rough edges). After all, her love will change him. But what if he doesn’t change? Would he still be worth marrying?

Or, what about this…

Someone gets an unexpected windfall and decides to buy that car they have always wanted. Ten years later the car is worn out and worth almost nothing.

On the other hand, if that windfall had been put in a proven investment its value would have doubled. So was the car it worth it?

Maybe, but the question should at least be asked and it must be asked before you buy the car not ten years later.

And then there’s the really important decision…the eternal one.

What if you don’t have tomorrow or next year to decide? Or what if you decide that the overwhelming odds suggests there’s nothing to the whole religion thing but find out after death that oddly enough that 1% chance that there is life after death and a Creator to give an account too turned out to be correct?

Answering that question correctly after the fact will bring no comfort.

Bottom line, some losses are so severe and life-altering that no amount of success is worth the risk.

That’s why wise fishermen never use hooks made out of real gold, and smart people attending a conference in Las Vega leave their wallets locked up in the safe in their hotel room while they’re there.

The ONE THING for today: Cautiously tiptoeing into success is still success, but making a spectacular crash landing into hell will not make you a hero.