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Be a Buffalo, Not a Cow. Take Up the Challenge
By avoiding pain, you harm yourself
On the western plains of Colorado, Native Americans have observed the following phenomenon: when cows try to escape a storm, buffalo charge toward it — and pass through it faster. This only seemingly defies logic. Anyone who has seen cows at least once knows that the storm will catch up with them in a flash and they will have to endure it for a long time. On the other hand, the buffaloes rushing straight towards the lightning and thunder will only momentarily find themselves in the eye of the element.
In the face of danger, cows and buffaloes reveal their true nature. It’s the same with managers — some try to avoid difficult business situations, but only those who face them succeed.
Escape from pain
A branch manager lost his job when it came to light that he had covered up a mistake made by his salespeople two or three times during negotiations. The fired man wanted to reveal the truth, but was afraid of a difficult conversation with the regional director. Receiving his termination notice, he was told that if he admitted his mistake, he would score points with the company’s managers. Since he didn’t, it’s hard to trust him.
An avoidance strategy is at best just a delay strategy. Sweeping problems under the rug is not a solution. You usually have to pay a lot for temporary relief. As psychiatrist Scott Peck writes in his bestseller “The Road Less Traveled,” if we push problems away from us, they come back to us with increased force — better to stomach the discomfort of a visit to the dentist to fill superficial cavities than the pain of root canal treatment or oral surgery.
Avoiding pain and seeking pleasure at all costs is characteristic of the first phase of a child’s development, that is, up to the age of 13. However, by the age of 10–11, he or she begins to realize that if he or she wants to finish the match, he or she must play with a shattered knee.
