Don’t Do Stupid Things

A simple and benign statement ignited thoughts among many. For most it was clearly a statement of the obvious, others expressed their ideas, and a few were adamant about the use of the term stupid. Normally I would allow unabated venting but in this case my convictions were running strong about the possibility that this lesson had not been shared.

First and foremost the context of ‘stupid’ is in relationship to actions invoked and NOT a judgement as to a person’s intellect. In fact intellect is a reflection of knowledge acquisition, either through formal education or practical experiences. This is one reason why there is repeated conflict between intelligence and ‘common sense’, a basis of sound judgement resulting from assessing the situation and acting accordingly. Stupid things happen with regularity whether it be in personal or professional life. What makes them stupid is when the application of intellect and common sense are absent, thus resulting in actions that are driven by emotion more so than considering the consequences. As parents, or executive parents in the workplace, we are obligated to expose our charges to doing right things. Right things produce positive outcomes whereas stupid (wrong) acts produce waste and recover investment.

In the present day context it would appear that this simple titled lesson has either been lost or not heard. Instead actions become reflective of an abandonment of wisdom from trusted sources such as family, education or experience. This leads to actions stimulated by untrusted sources (those with no personal investment in the person) that is furthered by the formation of fact less emotional opinions. The result is a potentially lethal course that when acted upon will have dire consequences. For those few that feel that ‘stupid’ is too harsh, I can assure you that the outcomes are far more severe and damaging for the individual.

This leads us to the question of what represents the ‘stupid things’ universe. Actually its not so much a list of areas but rather then acceptance that actions have consequences. It’s when those actions either violate formal doctrine or social norms that we are running the risk of making stupid mistakes. For example, violation of law is clearly a stupid choice regardless of the self-perceived motive involved. But there are also acts that lead to stupid decisions where trust is breached. Such is the case when an employee using a company vehicle chooses to use it for personal purposes. Or in simpler terms family norms that prohibit the use of certain words such as hate, later or shut-up as is the case in our household that results in stupid behavior.

Some would contend that stupid is demeaning, as it should be because of two factors. The first factor being the need to alter unacceptable behavior and make a reoccurrence condition something to reconsider. The second being a reaffirmation of personal responsibility to the world at large. It is not about changing the world but being a productive contributor through respectful social conduct.

As I stated many times, it is not our role as a business to take positions on social events but rather to impart sound decision making intelligence to the varied conditions that we are exposed to on a recurring basis. This involves people and the actions of those people that influence our enterprise aptitude and forms a stable base of normality. It amplifies personal choice as long as it is done with sound discernment.

Decision Points:

• What kind of stupid mistakes are we regularly making?
• How can we minimize stupid mistakes?
• Clearly there is a difference between an error (unintentional right act) and stupid mistakes (intentional abject act), how should these be responded to?
• Do our charges (people) know the simple rule of ‘Don’t Make Stupid Mistakes’.
• Mistakes allow us to learn, but reckless (stupid) mistakes are not a learning tool but a self-serving human compulsion.

“My lesson learned is to reconsider the timing of controversial posts to be one that will not disturb my rest with thought.”

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Clarity Group Global is an intellectual decision validation institution dedicated to the support of leaders, companies and organizations that face challenging choices. Making right decisions that produce significant value equates to less disruption and chaos, "non-tradition made exceptional".