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I am often called upon to give advice. I say I am called upon, though it may be in fact that people just want to bitch and I see this as an opportunity to fix their problems so I won't have to hear about them anymore, but I digress. When I give advice the two most common things I tell people are:
Picking your battles refers to making the choice on whether or not you want conflict over a particular matter. Some people think this to mean only challenge when you think you can win, or when you know in your heart of hearts that you are absolutely 100% correct. I do not think this is the case, my own personal recommendation is only seek conflict when you think the outcome of that conflict can actually cause a difference. For example, I see many a person that sport anti-immigration slogans, here in New York, which is basically all immigrants since the Dutch bought the island over 300 years ago. Now I know I am correct when pointing out that fact that most people in this area are immigrants, if not first or second generation, at least some point in near history (unless of course you are Native American then boy do you have a reason to talk about illegal immigration.) But I keep in mind the fact that these people wont be swayed by any of my oral arguments, and I just keep my mouth shut. Out of my two pieces of advice, this is probably the one I am the worst on, but I recognize it as a weakness, and I strive to be better. Sometimes it is difficult to see when you can or cannot influence the outcome of a certain event, and you jump into the pool before you find out there is no bottom.
Cutting your losses is the process of realizing no matter how much you have invested in something, the payoff is not going to exceed what you put in to it. This can be quite difficult for some people, because basically you have to admit to yourself that at some point in time you made a mistake when you first became vested in this particular interest. What I find helpful in these situations is to ask yourself which is the bigger mistake: Making an incorrect decision when you didn't have all the information, or allowing something you know is wrong to go on. There are many examples of times you should cut your losses, whether it be with a job, a relationship, or even an object like a car or a house. When it comes to cutting your losses, I am ruthlessly efficient in this area. One could almost say too efficient, because I may end up getting out before any returns are shown. I just know I have a low tolerance for one sided transactions and if I don't foresee a return coming my way, I'd rather accept what I have lost rather than invest more for a slim chance at getting anything back.
More often than not, I see these things as the root of most problems people have in their lives, so if you ever call upon me to give you some advice, get ready, as I have two pieces of advice for you.
