Note to future self #1

People will act in ways that appear meaningless.

Even people known for years. Even people trusted. Faced with what looks, to you and to the others around you, like an obvious choice, they will sometimes pick the option that feels irrational, ungrounded, or entirely unexpected.

This should never come as a surprise.

Whenever someone is facing an important decision, at work or elsewhere, assume that the least intuitive option is on the table. Not as an edge case, but as a real possibility.

At minimum, this forces the exercise of imagining a world where that door is taken. A path that does not align with expectations. A version of events that never crossed your mind.

More importantly, it creates readiness. Emotional. Professional. Practical. The ability to respond without shock when the unexpected happens.

Never assume full understanding of someone else’s decision-making.

Never confuse familiarity with predictability.

Never believe it is possible to judge, with certainty, the choice another person will make and always be ready, at least on paper,

January 10, 2026