We struggle with taking a long term view of things, even while recognizing the value and rationality in doing so. \n\nConsider a simplified example - at our grocery store the parking is laid out in a way that one can either park closer to the entrance gate or the exit gate, but in either scenario one has to walk the same distance to/from the car.
Instinctively, everybody parks close to the entry gate rather than exit. But rationally, it makes sense to park near the exit because on the way out one is usually carrying extra stuff, sometimes in hands. \n\nHuman brain is wired for survival so the intrinsic instinct is to minimize the immediate pain. In situations where it truly threatens our survival, this protects us but our brain can also classify the painful situations sometimes necessary for growth (think of a hard job) as a threat, prompting us to remove ourselves from those situations. Â
This is quite apparent in how we think of innovation and our careers as well. \n\nIn a world full of hacks, quick playbooks, and trends - its hard to resist their tempation but perhaps recognizing how our behavior gets tricked can help question if our choices are really helping us park our car in places with most long term benefit."
