"There was once a man who thought he was better than me, and he was, until he had that thought". Anonymous.This particular quote has floated in my head for well over five years now. An old college friend had recited it and I immediately adopted it as my mantra, even though I had not completely wrapped my head around its meaning. What most fascinates me about the quote is its multiple levels of interpretation.
A few days ago I crossed paths with a very influential authority figure; one who appreciates good poetry, and as we sparked up a very engaging discussion on motivation, leadership and strength, I asked him about the quote; "There was once a man who thought he was better than me, and he was, until he had that thought." He replied, "If I want to kill a gnat, I'll hit it with a sledge hammer."
As we grow older and increase our level of expertise on a varied array of subjects, we tend to get too comfortable. Over time, our complacency increases the risk of us over valuing our strengths and becoming less and less thorough in handling our affairs. As a result, we make the mistake of digging our own grave - metaphorically of course.
Our mistake is not giving a particular assignment our full attention, especially tasks in which we assume are our "areas of expertise". In essence, "Complacency is a state of mind that exists only in retrospective: it has to be shattered before being ascertained". Vladimir Nabokov.
Photo Credit: http://creoleindc.typepad.com/rantings_of_a_creole_prin/2011/08/family-of-complacency.html
