“We try to prevent failure by taking stock, yet still find ways to throw ourselves off course.”
— The Sage
The Sage has often observed that people are quite good at preparation. Lists are made, plans are drawn, contingencies considered. We take stock of our situation, measure our options, and convince ourselves that with enough foresight, failure can be neatly avoided. There is comfort in this ritual — a sense of control, however temporary.
He notes, however, that the unexpected rarely comes from outside. More often, it arrives from within — a moment of impatience, distraction, or quiet doubt. Despite all preparation, we still manage to throw ourselves off course, sometimes with impressive efficiency. The Sage suggests that this is not a flaw in planning, but a feature of being human.
With gentle humour, he reminds us that life is not undone by a lack of preparation alone, but by the curious ways we override it. Taking stock may steady the path, but it cannot walk it for us. And so, he concludes, wisdom lies not only in preparing well, but in recognising our remarkable ability to ignore that preparation at precisely the wrong moment.
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