​"If you want to know how the road looks, ask the people who have come back." One day, we went hiking at Crater Lake and were preparing to descend into the crater to see the lake up close. As we walked down, we realized the 2-mile trail can go almost 700 feet deep to the bottom! We began to question how difficult it would be to make the round trip back up. While we were contemplating this, we saw people returning from the hike. Many of them appeared extremely exhausted and were struggling to catch their breath. Many of them kept asking us how far it was to the top.

After assessing our capabilities, we stopped and waited for our stronger friends to return and share some pictures with us. In other words, if you have the opportunity to observe people who have already experienced what you want to experience, take the time to learn from them. It is priceless.

In 2014, the French rail operator SNCF (The Société nationale des chemins de fer français) was investigated for its €15 billion purchase of 1,860 regional trains. During the investigation, no one thought to ask whether the platform measurements were universal. This resulted in finding out that the trains were too wide for 1,300 older stations, a mistake that cost €50 million to fix. ​ (Source)

It is crucial to confidently express and defend our views to avoid failure. However, various examples tell us why this is so important. 

One of the main reasons is the influence of culture. On August 6, 1997, Korean Air Flight 801, a Boeing 747, crashed while attempting to land at Guam International Airport. The crash resulted in the deaths of 228 out of the 254 people on board. The flight crew did communicate their concerns about challenging weather conditions and altitude issues. However, due to hierarchical cultures, they did not insist on their opinion, and the captain's confidence led to no adherence to safety protocols, which contributed to the tragic crash.

Similarly, NASA engineers were concerned about the O-rings' performance during the Space Shuttle Challenger's launch in cold weather. However, they failed to communicate their reservations with confidence to higher-ups. Despite their concerns, the launch proceeded in freezing temperatures, leading to the O-rings' failure and the tragic explosion of the Challenger in 1986, resulting in the loss of seven astronauts' lives.

In addition, many financial institutions had concerns about the growing subprime mortgage market bubble before the 2008 financial crisis. However, these concerns were not adequately addressed due to a lack of confidence in voicing their concerns and a culture of risk-taking. This lack of confidence in raising red flags contributed to the global financial crisis, leading to economic turmoil and recession.

Hence, knowing when and how to express our opinions confidently and insistently, with enough data or evidence to back them up, is essential. This will help prevent disasters caused by hesitation and lack of communication.

​I heard a story about a mom who had poor eyesight and couldn't see her daughter's performance clearly. So, she picked up her iPhone and started recording the video on the screen, using the zoom feature to get a clear insight. This story can serve as a metaphor for the usefulness of any tool in gaining clarity, just like how the iPhone helped the mom watch her daughter's performance.

When faced with small or hard-to-read text, many people take photos and zoom in on the pictures to see details more clearly, a method that can be useful in various situations.​

We have discussed Stoic philosophy many times, focusing on recognizing what we can control and accepting what is beyond our control. It is essential to have the wisdom to differentiate between the two. Here, we would like to share some Buddhist stories illustrating this concept.

One day, Buddha asks his student, “If an arrow strikes a person, is it painful?” The student nods in agreement. The Buddha then asks, “If a second arrow strikes a person, is that even more painful?” Again, the student nods yes. The Buddha explains, “In life, we cannot always control the first arrow—the negative event that happens to us. However, the second arrow represents our reaction to that bad event, and this second arrow is optional.” 

The first arrow symbolizes the challenges, pain, and chaos that can disrupt our lives. When it strikes, it hurts. But the second arrow represents our response to the first, and as the parable teaches, we have the choice to avoid being hit by the second arrow. Our reaction is entirely within our control.

When things are within our control, we need to stay positive and strong- taking action instead of groaning about the situation, actively seeking solutions, and making the best decisions. Even if our response turns out to be wrong, in the future, we can learn from our experiences.