If I were to add a subtopic to this article I would say something like Dont be a Victim of Your Own Mind. Sometimes our past experiences can be our worst enemy. Most times our past experiences are necessary and good but many times they can be our biggest problem. Lets use past experiences as a learning tool but not as a crutch which will hinder our growth.
I have seen many instances where people were prisoners of their past. I have seen it hinder the growth of people who were their subordinates. Sometimes it is good to want to stick to your guns, but sometimes sticking to your guns can be detrimental to all concerned.
I remember many years ago when there were still some Vietnam Veterans in the US Military. They were afforded a higher status by us because of their combat experience. Naturally you want to learn from someone who seems to know but I realized that past experience can sometimes be wrong. A Vietnam veteran was talking to us once and telling us what to expect in war. When he said that we would be in firebases I realized that past experience will sometimes cause you to error. The firebase was a good tactic for Vietnam because of the type war that it was. The same concept would be disastrous in a modern war. This was the thing that this old vet knew so it was what he would have done. It just didnt fit with every situation.
Many times we hear the statement This is the way that it should be done. This statement is not always true so you cant always deal with the future according to the past. When Operation Iraqi Freedom began the US Military was widely criticized for the way that it handled the war. There was one armchair General who told the press that if he was conducting the war how differently that he would conduct it. When a reporter mentioned to one of the Generals on the command staff that Generals reply was that it was not the armchair Generals war to worry about. The armchair General was not privy to the same information. He did not know the new situation. His perception based on a past operation was flawed. Had he attempted to fight the new war he would have made some serious mistakes.
I hear politicians politic all of the time and say that a certain policy will not work because this is not the way we should apply it to the problem at hand. Think about this; what is it that got us in trouble in the first place? The old way of business is not necessarily the right way. Sometimes the old way keeps us in a self defeating spiral. If one thing doesnt work we must learn to quickly go to the thing that does. The old way train of thought has sunk many battleships. Dont be afraid of change.
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