Two commandments for better decision making

In the New Testament (Matthew 22:[35-39], when tested by a lawyer, Jesus gave his two commandments that one should follow:

• Love Your God
• Love Your Neighbor

One is zooming out to God, who sees everything from above and is looking out for you, and the other is zooming in, where you are looking out for your neighbor. These two commandments are universal, irrespective of your beliefs. They make you a better person. 

But a lot has changed since Jesus spoke these two commandments in the Gospel of Matthew. So, what two commandments would apply to the world we live in today and better equip you to make sense of complex things? I came up with two.

Commandant One
Ask this fundamental question: "What is going on here?" 

Commandment Two
Follow the money

These apply to anything, including politics, business, relationships, etc. 

You need both to make better decisions. When you only zoom in, you will miss the big picture. And when you only zoom out, you may miss the details that will give you a clearer picture of why something is awry. You need both. 


Example of the importance of Commandment One

The importance of this commandment is best crystallized in Kazuo Ishiguro's book "Remains of the Day."

Mr. Cardinal, a journalist, is a godson of Lord Darlington, owner of the stately home Darlington Hall. Mr. Stevens is a butler at this place. Mr. Cardinal is at Darlington Hall when a monumental meeting, brokered by Lord Darlington, is taking place between the Germans and the British that could either bring world peace or catastrophic world war.

Stevens shows no interest in the significance of this meeting. He is only interested in being the best butler, which is admirable, but one would think he would be interested in knowing a little about this high-powered meeting.

So, when Mr. Cardinal tries to find out if Stevens has any clue about what is happening in one of the rooms, Stevens has no idea and does not care.

Mr. Cardinal asks the most critical question, "Do you know, Stevens, what is going on here?" 

Mr. Cardinal adds, "The British Prime Minister and the German Ambassador are brought together by your employer for secret talks in the night, and you're not even curious?"

Stevens replies, "I would not say I am not curious, sir. However, it is not my position to display curiosity about such matters."

Stevens is focused on making sure that everything goes well during this meeting. And one would agree that Stevens does not need to meddle in something that is way out of his understanding or expertise. But so is Lord Darlington. What he is doing is also way out of his understanding and expertise. But that does not excuse both of them from asking the fundamental question that Mr. Cardinal is asking Stevens.
Both Stevens and Lord Darlington are zooming in only and are incable and unwilling to zoom o out. Unfortunately, we all fall into this trap of being zoomed in and completely miss what's going on in a complex situation.

Example of the importance of Commandment Two

In this famous scene from the movie "All the President's Men," a journalist from Washington Post, Bob Woodward (played by Robert Redford), is having a secret meeting with a government official (known as Deep Throat) in a parking garage to get information regarding the Watergate break-in of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters. The informant tells Bob Woodward to follow the money and will help Woodward by confirming whether he is on the right track. But the informant's simple advice to Woodward to get closer to the truth is to just follow the money. He and his colleague Carl Bernstein at the Washington Post did just that and found out that it led to the president of the United States.

This advice by Deep Throat makes sense since you need money to get things done. You can do forensics on that, and you can see what took place, when it took place and who was involved. The flow of money leaves a lot of breadcrumbs that can be traced to help you see the big picture. 

For the Watergate investigation, Woodward and Bernstein needed to find out who paid the burglars who broke into the DNC headquarters. Once they traced it to the Republican party, they had to find out how high it went. As it turned out, it went to the very top. This led to a congressional hearing, potential impeachment, resignation, and eventual pardon. Money deposits valuable clues that can't be ignored.

Combine the two commandments, and you have something that can help you find the truth in just about any complex situation.

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Time is Money, Communication is Wealth

​I guide people succeed when they must win, such as getting a good job, advancing in career or winning a sales deal.
I wrote a practical, no-nonsense book on winning titled Winning Speech Moments: How to Achieve Your Objective with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. 

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