I know you probably think I am going to make fun of a guy that wants to dismantle the government but just can’t remember what parts he wants to throw away. That is old news. Although the point of this column may be of benefit to that particular candidate.
Have you ever made a decision and then realized that you took the wrong path? How many times in life have you refused to back step or alter your course out of pride or just plain stubbornness? Have you ever bought tickets to an event that you ultimately decided you did not want to go? Did you go anyway so you didn’t “waste” the money you spent on the tickets? Is going to an event you don’t want (or have) to go to better than not going? The damage of the lost money is done; going to the event may just make it worse. Making it worse doesn’t really make it better.
The willingness to admit you were wrong and then changing course is tantamount to using good old common sense. The problem with common sense is that a lot of us seem to leave it by the door like an umbrella on a partly cloudy day. We don’t always think we will need it, but it is nice to have when an unexpected shower pops up. That is certainly true when fixing the wrong decision and moving to the correct course requires us to swallow our pride.
When a politician changes a position, it is often referred to as a “flip flop.” Of course, most politicians do not point to reason or new information as the catalyst for their change of heart on a subject. The new position is usually tethered to the prior position by a tortured explanation that tries to explain how the new position is really the same as the old. That is, unless you don’t like the old position, then the explanation is simply that the listener does not understand, and the politician will help them understand by changing the subject.
It only makes sense to follow the path that gets you where you want to go. That means that, if you determine that the best path is a reversal of the current path, it is time to change gears. How many people have died because a military leader refused to change course, even in situations in which they knew changing course would be the best choice. People will often accept a worse result in order to avoid the perceived humiliation that comes with having to admit they were wrong. Sad but true.
Without question, the position I am pushing here is easier to say than to do. The situations and the ramifications associated with changing course can be very complicated. Complications and ramifications, regardless of their severity, are often a necessary evil of making the right choice. When your continued involvement in an ongoing race is doing nothing more than costing you humiliation, it may be time to return, or give away, all of the money you have raised and go home. The prideful pain of quitting now could save you more humiliation later. I am just saying ...
You never know when this little journey through life will end, and none of us can be sure that we have time to wander in the wrong direction. Choose your path and re-evaluate often. The correct decision you make today can become wrong tomorrow because of new information. The ability to reconsider our position is what keeps those of us way up in the CHEAP SEATS from going in the wrong direction all of the time!