Here is my word for January 29, 2020: CONCLUDE
This is an action that I often think we may arrive at impulsively. Unless we find ourselves in an emergency situation, a real emergency, there is time for careful consideration before we conclude our thinking.
The really hard work is the figuring out—the thinking through and analyzing or, better still, synthesizing information from multiple sources---even from seemingly disparate sources as we try to keep our unconscious biases in check. IF we take the time and effort to go through this kind of detailed exercise, then what we conclude in the end may well have some real merit.
However, if what we do is look at a situation and make a snap decision, rush to a rapid judgment, then it’s very likely we won’t have fully considered the relevant inputs, as well as the possible consequences---intended and unintended. If that’s the case, then we may well fall into the trap described by Sherlock Holmes, Master Sleuth, when he said: “The temptation to form premature theories upon insufficient data is the bane of our profession.”