‘Being Right Vs. Finding Right’ Kingston’s Journey #48

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Leaving my accounting position in Reno, moving out to Chiang Mai to be an English teacher, settling in Bangkok to be a teacher, shooting kids with a water gun, throwing some of them out of the classroom, taking up Muay Thai, trying Salsa, leaving Thailand, doing tricks on my bike and leaving for Latin America during a global pandemic.

I made these decisions, like you make decisions, based on not knowing whether they are the right decision or not. And that’s the beauty of life, you never know. We operate on imperfect information, that’s why often times people might say things like “oh, that was a stupid idea.” When in hindsight it’ll be “why didn’t so think it that.”

There’s a famous piece of film of an IBM executive in an interview in the 1970s (don’t quote me on this) where he was asked if he thought computers would ever become the size that would fit on a desk and be used on a personal level. He flat out said no. Of course we know now IBM is probably kicking itself for not jumping on this.

Because there is a difference between “being stupid” and “being stupid enough to try.” The former is not thinking things through while the later is reasoning, “there’s a good chance I’m going to fail, but screw it, the potential payoff far outweighs the risk.” You could say this business failed or that business failed, but the minute it becomes the next Facebook, it “rights all the wrongs.” Sticking with Facebook, you’re never going to “be right” and call the next Bitcoin, it’s about trying, failing and “finding right.”