The Knot, Once Tied
The last leg of my daily commute involves a short bus ride on a route with infrequent service. While I have options like taking a share-auto or even walking, I always end up waiting for the bus. I often tell myself, “I’ll wait five minutes, and then I’ll leave.” I add 2 more minutes while browsing my phone. And then three more, to make it a round ten. By the time ten minutes have passed, I’m bored with whatever I’m doing on my phone. Even though I am bored and frustrated, I start to expect the bus to arrive, cursing my decision to wait so long instead of choosing another mode of transportation. Despite disliking this habit, I find myself caught in this situation every now and then.
If you’ve ever lent money to someone facing financial difficulties, you’ve likely encountered this situation. The person suddenly asks for a small sum of money to round off the total amount, with the assurance of repaying the entire sum very shortly. In the hope of getting the money back, many people choose to provide that additional sum. However, in reality, this rarely happens in the way we hoped.
Did you know that most of the river crossing accidents happen at a point 40%-50% of the distance from the bank? There is a sense of risk. There is a hope. This hope often overshadows the potential danger, and people tend to attempt the crossing rather than turning back when it might be the safer option. It’s just a psychological thing, and it happens one way or the other, whether we know it or not, whether we’re willing it or not — once people are committed, it’s exceedingly difficult for them to reverse course, even if it’s the practical and feasible thing to do.
