A Stupid, Impulsive, Life-Threatening Decision
Although my favorite TV show is The Amazing Race, and I credit Survivor for hooking me on the genre, I also enjoy watching The Apprentice.
The title of this article is a quotation from Donald Trump, from the second episode of the second season. Trump was referring to Bradford, who impulsively waived his exemption from being fired after winning the previous challenge as Project Manager. On this second challenge, he certainly did well for his team, and was so confident that even if it was based on his performance, he would not be the one that would be fired even if he didn’t have the exemption. This waiver was seen by Trump as an act of overconfident, impulsive stupidity, which eventually led him to the decision of firing Bradford. Trump’s decision left a bad taste in my mouth.
If Bradford did not say that he was willing to waive his exemption, he would not have been fired. It did not even seem to be a calculated move. When he said it, he seems to have said it half-heartedly, out of confidence which may have been well deserved, perhaps not taking into account that Trump would actually take him seriously. But Trump did. And that was the only basis of him getting fired. One incorrectly phrased statement that he may just have blurted out, thinking that it would not have any repercussions. It may not have even been a conscious decision on his part. It was impulsive. It was life-threatening. And in the end, it did prove stupid. And that is one statement that may have changed his life.
One bad decision. Almost all of us are familiar with that. Who among us who have been alive for some time now has never made a stupid decision. And worse yet, is when that stupid decision alters our life. Forever. And even worse is if there is more than one bad decision. More than one, life-altering, bad move. And if we would ‘fess up, many of us can easily relate to that.
It’s one thing to have bad results after making a well-informed, intelligent decision. That may be due to time and chance. (You may refer to my other article, Time and Chance) That would be easier to accept since that would not be your fault, you did everything humanly possible to prevent a bad result, but it just so happened that it did. That’s easier to swallow. But if the decision was stupid, and it changes your life so much, that is one of the hardest pills to swallow.
Sometimes, it’s not even a miscalculated move. It’s an uncalculated move. Many of us unconsciously choose to have default situations in our lives because we neglect to make decisions. Thus, life brings us to inevitable circumstances that we may as well have been aware of, but did not make a decision and the accompanying action to avoid.
So what are we to do?
One suggestion that I have is to think of important things that may happen before they happen and make a decision now and commit yourself strongly to it, perhaps even planning out steps on what to do should they occur. What would you do if somebody offers you, alcohol, or if you’re already doing that, cigarettes, or if you’re already doing that, drugs, or if you’re already doing that, rob a bank? One becomes more prone to giving in to peer pressure if that person has never before decided in his or her heart to avoid those things altogether. It was my conscious decision long before my first offer that I would never smoke, drink, or do drugs, and this previous commitment has enabled me to refuse all offers no matter how much pressure they employed.
Consider other possibilities. Would you ever meet up with a total stranger? Would you go out and have an intimate relationship with someone you hardly know? What would you be willing and not be willing to wear in public? Would you ever get involved [romantically] with someone already married? What kind of relationship would you refuse to enter? If you never think about such possibilities, and when the situation finally arises, you are left undecided, and you just go with the flow, leaning towards what may feel good, and finally when you start thinking, only then do you realize that had you thought things through, you would never have allowed such a thing, and you would have been spared the consequences that came with it.
But, sad to say, many people don’t care to think about such things, and don’t care to make intelligent decisions, and don’t care about the consequences that come with it. People can convince themselves that they regret no decision and are happy with the things the way they are, but sooner of later, the truth will come out.
To quote myself on an article I started to write four years ago but have not yet finished (that’s different, huh), “Some just don’t take their responsibility seriously, thus relieving them the “burden” of making good choices, although bestowing on them the heavier burden that is their consequences. Which is why the wiser people choose the lighter burden of making good decisions.”
Unfortunately, although these questions are very good to think about and perhaps meditate upon, many times, it is still easier said than done. How many times have we made a conscious and wise decision, and yet when the situation presents itself, we basically forget our previous commitment. Worse yet, is when the situation presented is something we never expected, thus catching us off-guard.
Although this may be the case, it is still no excuse to neglect confronting ourselves with important issues and committing ourselves beforehand. Although plans may change based on circumstances, it at least saves us some indecision, and gives us a premeditated background to base our decision upon.
Another point I would like to make is that in the decision of Bradford’s elimination, there was a third player that affected it all. Ivana, the current Project Manager for their team that episode, was the one who decided to bring Bradford back in the firing line, even though he was not part of those she would originally bring back. It seemed obvious that Ivana was confident Bradford wouldn’t get fired, knowing his performance, and may have brought him back to back her up to fire the other contestant, or for the littlest possibility that Trump was very ticked off at Bradford’s “decision”, which may result in saving her behind. Ivana seemed very disappointed at herself when Trump axed Bradford, perhaps blaming herself for having someone undeserving of elimination get eliminated because of her decision, since if she had not brought Bradford back, she would have certainly saved Bradford from getting fired.
Many times, when we make stupid decisions, we are not the only who are affected. We bring people down with us. Sometimes, they are totally innocent, sometimes they are, to a certain degree, liable with the decision too. Which iterates the fact that we must make conscious, intelligent decisions even beforehand because if we don’t care enough about what will happen to us, we should be aware that our decision (or lack thereof) will also affect other people’s lives.
The final “player” I have not yet discussed is Trump himself. I feel his decision to fire Bradford was stupid and impulsive too, and although I could very easily be wrong on this one, as Trump himself can disprove me, it seemed to me that he was not very convinced of his decision of firing Bradford even after he made it, seeking the approval of Carolyn and George, his trusty sidekicks, afterwards, even though he says that he was pleased with his decision (although he does that almost every episode).
I thought Trump was unfair. One statement shouldn’t cause a guy who didn’t deserve to get axed become eliminated. As the one with the power of deciding who stays and who goes, he should have done the right thing and spared Bradford that episode. Although Trump admits to making regrettable mistakes himself, he said that if Bradford was the head of a company, such stupid and impulsive decisions could bring the company down. Although that is true, and it may as well be true that the other contestants have made more serious blunders, it was Bradford’s single impulsive decision that was highlighted.
I was unhappy with the decision because I am one who would like to believe that such things do not happen; that life does not make forever-changing ill turns because of just one stupid, impulsive decision. But alas, it does. One mistake can mess our lives forever. I would have hoped that Trump spared Bradford from that one stupid mistake, but life doesn’t work like that, and, at times, life is even more ruthless. Thus we must ever be vigilant and conscious with the choices we make, with everything we do, everything we say, everyday.
Failing is no excuse to allow yourself to fail some more. Certainly failures will come, and we must inevitably live with them (Read also my other articles Living with It and The Cards You're Dealt With) but that is no reason to simply allow ourselves to the flow of fate. We can increase our odds of avoiding extremely bleak consequences if we make conscious decisions beforehand and live by those commitments. Do it now!
(Originally written: 2005, April 10, 11:03 pm)
- A. L. E. -
The title of this article is a quotation from Donald Trump, from the second episode of the second season. Trump was referring to Bradford, who impulsively waived his exemption from being fired after winning the previous challenge as Project Manager. On this second challenge, he certainly did well for his team, and was so confident that even if it was based on his performance, he would not be the one that would be fired even if he didn’t have the exemption. This waiver was seen by Trump as an act of overconfident, impulsive stupidity, which eventually led him to the decision of firing Bradford. Trump’s decision left a bad taste in my mouth.
If Bradford did not say that he was willing to waive his exemption, he would not have been fired. It did not even seem to be a calculated move. When he said it, he seems to have said it half-heartedly, out of confidence which may have been well deserved, perhaps not taking into account that Trump would actually take him seriously. But Trump did. And that was the only basis of him getting fired. One incorrectly phrased statement that he may just have blurted out, thinking that it would not have any repercussions. It may not have even been a conscious decision on his part. It was impulsive. It was life-threatening. And in the end, it did prove stupid. And that is one statement that may have changed his life.
One bad decision. Almost all of us are familiar with that. Who among us who have been alive for some time now has never made a stupid decision. And worse yet, is when that stupid decision alters our life. Forever. And even worse is if there is more than one bad decision. More than one, life-altering, bad move. And if we would ‘fess up, many of us can easily relate to that.
It’s one thing to have bad results after making a well-informed, intelligent decision. That may be due to time and chance. (You may refer to my other article, Time and Chance) That would be easier to accept since that would not be your fault, you did everything humanly possible to prevent a bad result, but it just so happened that it did. That’s easier to swallow. But if the decision was stupid, and it changes your life so much, that is one of the hardest pills to swallow.
Sometimes, it’s not even a miscalculated move. It’s an uncalculated move. Many of us unconsciously choose to have default situations in our lives because we neglect to make decisions. Thus, life brings us to inevitable circumstances that we may as well have been aware of, but did not make a decision and the accompanying action to avoid.
So what are we to do?
One suggestion that I have is to think of important things that may happen before they happen and make a decision now and commit yourself strongly to it, perhaps even planning out steps on what to do should they occur. What would you do if somebody offers you, alcohol, or if you’re already doing that, cigarettes, or if you’re already doing that, drugs, or if you’re already doing that, rob a bank? One becomes more prone to giving in to peer pressure if that person has never before decided in his or her heart to avoid those things altogether. It was my conscious decision long before my first offer that I would never smoke, drink, or do drugs, and this previous commitment has enabled me to refuse all offers no matter how much pressure they employed.
Consider other possibilities. Would you ever meet up with a total stranger? Would you go out and have an intimate relationship with someone you hardly know? What would you be willing and not be willing to wear in public? Would you ever get involved [romantically] with someone already married? What kind of relationship would you refuse to enter? If you never think about such possibilities, and when the situation finally arises, you are left undecided, and you just go with the flow, leaning towards what may feel good, and finally when you start thinking, only then do you realize that had you thought things through, you would never have allowed such a thing, and you would have been spared the consequences that came with it.
But, sad to say, many people don’t care to think about such things, and don’t care to make intelligent decisions, and don’t care about the consequences that come with it. People can convince themselves that they regret no decision and are happy with the things the way they are, but sooner of later, the truth will come out.
To quote myself on an article I started to write four years ago but have not yet finished (that’s different, huh), “Some just don’t take their responsibility seriously, thus relieving them the “burden” of making good choices, although bestowing on them the heavier burden that is their consequences. Which is why the wiser people choose the lighter burden of making good decisions.”
Unfortunately, although these questions are very good to think about and perhaps meditate upon, many times, it is still easier said than done. How many times have we made a conscious and wise decision, and yet when the situation presents itself, we basically forget our previous commitment. Worse yet, is when the situation presented is something we never expected, thus catching us off-guard.
Although this may be the case, it is still no excuse to neglect confronting ourselves with important issues and committing ourselves beforehand. Although plans may change based on circumstances, it at least saves us some indecision, and gives us a premeditated background to base our decision upon.
Another point I would like to make is that in the decision of Bradford’s elimination, there was a third player that affected it all. Ivana, the current Project Manager for their team that episode, was the one who decided to bring Bradford back in the firing line, even though he was not part of those she would originally bring back. It seemed obvious that Ivana was confident Bradford wouldn’t get fired, knowing his performance, and may have brought him back to back her up to fire the other contestant, or for the littlest possibility that Trump was very ticked off at Bradford’s “decision”, which may result in saving her behind. Ivana seemed very disappointed at herself when Trump axed Bradford, perhaps blaming herself for having someone undeserving of elimination get eliminated because of her decision, since if she had not brought Bradford back, she would have certainly saved Bradford from getting fired.
Many times, when we make stupid decisions, we are not the only who are affected. We bring people down with us. Sometimes, they are totally innocent, sometimes they are, to a certain degree, liable with the decision too. Which iterates the fact that we must make conscious, intelligent decisions even beforehand because if we don’t care enough about what will happen to us, we should be aware that our decision (or lack thereof) will also affect other people’s lives.
The final “player” I have not yet discussed is Trump himself. I feel his decision to fire Bradford was stupid and impulsive too, and although I could very easily be wrong on this one, as Trump himself can disprove me, it seemed to me that he was not very convinced of his decision of firing Bradford even after he made it, seeking the approval of Carolyn and George, his trusty sidekicks, afterwards, even though he says that he was pleased with his decision (although he does that almost every episode).
I thought Trump was unfair. One statement shouldn’t cause a guy who didn’t deserve to get axed become eliminated. As the one with the power of deciding who stays and who goes, he should have done the right thing and spared Bradford that episode. Although Trump admits to making regrettable mistakes himself, he said that if Bradford was the head of a company, such stupid and impulsive decisions could bring the company down. Although that is true, and it may as well be true that the other contestants have made more serious blunders, it was Bradford’s single impulsive decision that was highlighted.
I was unhappy with the decision because I am one who would like to believe that such things do not happen; that life does not make forever-changing ill turns because of just one stupid, impulsive decision. But alas, it does. One mistake can mess our lives forever. I would have hoped that Trump spared Bradford from that one stupid mistake, but life doesn’t work like that, and, at times, life is even more ruthless. Thus we must ever be vigilant and conscious with the choices we make, with everything we do, everything we say, everyday.
Failing is no excuse to allow yourself to fail some more. Certainly failures will come, and we must inevitably live with them (Read also my other articles Living with It and The Cards You're Dealt With) but that is no reason to simply allow ourselves to the flow of fate. We can increase our odds of avoiding extremely bleak consequences if we make conscious decisions beforehand and live by those commitments. Do it now!
(Originally written: 2005, April 10, 11:03 pm)
- A. L. E. -
