The Perils of Resulting

Are some decisions better than others? I think so.

But let’s be clear, decisions are different from outcomes...

A bad decision can lead to a desired outcome, and even the very best decision cannot guarantee a result.

If I speed through a red light unscathed, that doesn’t mean I made the right decision. It means I got lucky. If I stop at a red light and get rear-ended by the driver behind me, that doesn’t mean I made the wrong decision. It means I was unlucky.

Conflating a desired result with a good decision and an undesirable result with a wrong decision is dangerous, and it has a name, the “resulting fallacy.”

That resulting is false is good news. Your identity, status, happiness, and worthiness are not tied to whether or not you achieve a goal. The resulting fallacy is called a fallacy for a reason!

Who you are is less about what results you get and more a function of the quality of your intentions and the integrity of your effort in pursuing them.

Ancient wisdom and spiritual tradition support this.

“We have a right to our labor, but not to the fruits of our labor.”—The Bhagavad Gita

Difference-makers like us who want to make things better MUST become better at decision-making. But we must not be seduced and confused by the resulting fallacy and conflate outcomes with our decisions.

How do you cultivate greater fulfillment and prosperity as a difference-maker? Become a more conscious, disciplined, and skilled decision-maker.

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose. 

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