Words: 211 Reading time: 0 minutes 42 secondsAt Christmas 1914 soldiers from both sides climbed out of their trenches and played football in No Man’s Land. For just a brief time those engaged in killing each other realised that war was not what they wanted and that there was probably a better way.
This spontaneous act at a human level was somewhat frowned on by those in higher command and next day they all went back to a prolonged and bitter conflict.
On a personal level, with much less dire consequences, we repeat this self-destructive cycle. We realize that what we are doing is not yielding the results we want, we know there is a better way, we may even try it for a short while, but in the end we revert back to what we were doing previously, because that’s what’s expected and it doesn’t disrupt the pattern of received wisdom.
By 1918, four years later, the protagonists eventually got round a table and arrived at a settlement. The cost would have been much less four years earlier, whatever they may have agreed at that stage.
The simple lesson learnt at such cost to everyone is: if you need to change something, do it sooner rather than later; it will be so much better for all concerned.
On a personal level, with much less dire consequences, we repeat this self-destructive cycle. We realize that what we are doing is not yielding the results we want, we know there is a better way, we may even try it for a short while, but in the end we revert back to what we were doing previously, because that’s what’s expected and it doesn’t disrupt the pattern of received wisdom.
By 1918, four years later, the protagonists eventually got round a table and arrived at a settlement. The cost would have been much less four years earlier, whatever they may have agreed at that stage.
The simple lesson learnt at such cost to everyone is: if you need to change something, do it sooner rather than later; it will be so much better for all concerned.
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