Choosing the Correct Path

When you were a child, choosing the correct path was something where your parents often helped to point the way between "right" and "wrong". Depending on the topic, some of us are guided by "rules of thumb" such as the 10 commandments which includes guidelines such as "Thou shall not kill" and "Thou shall not steal" where killing and stealing would be considered the wrong path.

As we get older, there are some choices we have to make that may not be so clear if you do not choose to follow one's religious recommendations. For example, deciding the correct path for yourself on the controversial issue of abortion is no easy consideration for many. The interesting thing is that sentiment of what's right or wrong changes over time, and can be different for different people. In an 1989 article in the LA Times, it cites that 61% of people interviewed felt that abortion was "morally wrong". Even among women who had an abortion, only 39% felt it was "morally right" while 37% felt it was "morally wrong", and 24% were unsure. Fast forward 30 years later, a Gallup Poll results from 2018 and 2019 provides some granular results based on age, education, income, and more. Of note, 62% those aged 18 to 29 saw themselves as "pro choice" compared to 37% of those aged 65+ who saw themselves as "pro choice."

Choosing the correct path doesn't pertain only to moral choices, and religion doesn't always offer a compass for what to do in all situations. The cumulative effects of the choices we make every day can lead us down some long term paths that we may not realize. Some are easier choices than others, such as what to eat, what to buy, what education to pursue, what jobs to pursue. If you choose not to eat healthy every day, it could ultimately lead to diabetes or heart disease. If we spend all of our savings on every new product fancy of the day, we might not have enough to retire comfortably decades later. If we do not choose to continually educate ourselves throughout our lifetime, we might have fewer options if and when our chosen profession becomes obsolete. If we choose to pursue a safe job rather than take risks as an entrepreneur, you may not see the accomplishment and impact that you are capable of. 

In the world of economic choices, where people are used to seeing product reviews online and going with the recommendations of the masses, it is remarkable how the choices of the masses do tend to reflect the sentiment of society. However, going with the majority may not be the surefire "correct path" for us.

There are many startups that begin with an idea based on something that no one is doing. For example, no one was asking for a smartphone to be created but yet Steve Jobs decided that creating an iPhone was something Apple should pursue. In this case, the choice based on the will of the masses may not yet exist. Hence, why would a person choose this as their "correct path"? This is where one has to really think through one's own core values, mission, vision, and impact they are trying to make. Then, they muster up the courage to make that choice. The correct choice might be a lonely path ahead that is laced with doubt, and that's why one must be filled with passion and conviction for it. Because when the going gets tough, the person and the team involved will draw on their conviction that "people need this", "this will help people", or "this must be done", and to soldier on because a world is worse off without it. This brings to mind one of the thought-provoking interview questions that Peter Thiel likes to ask candidates he interviews: 

"What important truth do very few people agree with you on?" -- Peter Thiel

Ultimately, there is not a minimum threshold of people's opinions that helps to indicate what one's correct path should be. In fact, in the world of investment, if everyone is thinking that a company is going to do well, the price for that stock would have accounted for that, and there is little gain that any investor can make. It is in looking for what's missed where the greatest impact can be made.

The correct path one should choose is not always easy nor clear, but it is a choice each person makes based on their values and desired impact. Of special note, even the very decision of inaction to keep the status quo is a choice. Every day, we are faced with many choices. We have to decide on our "correct path". If we don't make these decisions thoughtfully, we may end up on a path that we might later have to course-correct. Luckily, some choices can be changed down the road. However, some are irreversible and could cause permanent harm, even death, to others or yourself. Hence, it never hurts to take some time to deliberate on our choices as it can have reverberating effects on our lives and those around us.