3rd order consequences
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This morning I woke up and could barely walk. The reason? I‘d done some intense strength training a few days ago, and was experiencing something called Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness.
This morning I woke up and could barely walk. The reason? I‘d done some intense strength training a few days ago, and was experiencing something called Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness.
If training like this is so debilitating, you could reasonably ask why anyone would do it? Of course, if you apply 2nd order thinking it all starts making sense...
“Failing to consider 2nd- and 3rd-order consequences is the cause of a lot of painfully bad decisions, and it is especially deadly when the first inferior option confirms your own biases. Never seize on the first available option, no matter how good it seems, before you’ve asked questions and explored.”
—Ray Dalio
In this example the first available option is to not exercise :) After all, the 1st order consequence of training is just plain bad. But what about the 2nd order consequences? Like increased lean muscle mass, strength and basal metabolic rate? What about the 3rd order consequences like increased energy levels, mood and cognitive function?
At work we face similar situations. A culture of change management and associated ITIL processes add admin overhead and is annoying (1st order) but leads to less downtime (2nd order) and happier clients (3rd order #).
Recommended reading: https://lnkd.in/dNQi_TB
If training like this is so debilitating, you could reasonably ask why anyone would do it? Of course, if you apply 2nd order thinking it all starts making sense...
“Failing to consider 2nd- and 3rd-order consequences is the cause of a lot of painfully bad decisions, and it is especially deadly when the first inferior option confirms your own biases. Never seize on the first available option, no matter how good it seems, before you’ve asked questions and explored.”
—Ray Dalio
In this example the first available option is to not exercise :) After all, the 1st order consequence of training is just plain bad. But what about the 2nd order consequences? Like increased lean muscle mass, strength and basal metabolic rate? What about the 3rd order consequences like increased energy levels, mood and cognitive function?
At work we face similar situations. A culture of change management and associated ITIL processes add admin overhead and is annoying (1st order) but leads to less downtime (2nd order) and happier clients (3rd order #).
Recommended reading: https://lnkd.in/dNQi_TB