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Have you ever been in a position when you didn't listen to someone's sage advice and then suffered the consequences. I'm sure that's happened to all of us at one time or another. Or have you ever ignored someone's expert advice only to look back and wish you had followed their direction. That too has probably happened to all of us.
For me, there have been times when I regretted not following someone's sage advice or trusting my own instincts. Just recently, Kurt Eichenwald reported that his grandmother was the only one in her family that left Germany during the Holocaust. Her other family members didn't follow and were killed. I responded that it must have been difficult for that grandmother to trust herself when her family didn't appear to trust her judgement and follow. On a much less serious scale, that's happened to me. I've actually had to coach myself to believe in my own advice and thoughts.
Just the other day as I thought of the debates, I suggested that there be a plexiglass screen separating Biden and Trump. I worried that Trump might spread the virus since he has not been taking the pandemic precautions seriously. Then when I heard that Trump contracted the virus this morning, I worried about Biden's safety. I wished I had been more outspoken about the need for that divider. I know I'm just one small voice in the sea of Americans, but every consideration matters, every comment makes a difference. Fortunately, despite the fact that Trump angrily spewed vitriol and viral venom throughout the debate as he ranted for 90 minutes, Biden appears to not have contracted the virus. May that truth continue. Fortunately Biden has been following the expert advice about the pandemic even though Trump has ridiculed him for his obedience to the experts' sage advice and experience. Even Jill Biden wore a mask when she came up on stage--thank goodness she had that mask on because she too could have caught the virus from Melania and Trump on stage or in the audience where many of the Trump team refused to wear masks in opposition to expert advice.
The bottom line is that you have to have respect for the experts who have spent their lives dedicated to specific areas of science, math, history, politics, agriculture, economics and any other topic. In addition to respect, you have to consult a number of points of view from multiple experts and study the information with a critical eye. Then you have to work with diverse teams of best and brightest to make decisions based on that expertise. You can't lead from the gut or your own experience/knowledge alone when it comes to serious issues. You have to do your homework, collaborate, and work with the best possible knowledge and information you have.
Trump, as we know, shoots from the hip all the time and relies on his age-old and passed down skill at trickery, lies, manipulation, and disrespect to lead. That puts everyone in danger--it's an ignorant, foolish, dangerous, and disrespectful way to lead and make decisions. Successful people in every walk of life know that's stupid, and that's why I can't believe anyone would vote for Trump--a man unfit for leadership in almost any position.
No one likes it when someone tells you, I told you so when you disregard their smart consult, sage wisdom, or expertise, but everyone who is smart will acknowledge with humility, "I should have listened. I should have taken the time to think more of the situation. I erred." We all make mistakes and if we learn from those errors and do better, and we take advantage of what errors have to teach us. Trump has demonstrated time and again that he doesn't learn from error, but instead sticks to his old, outdated, uninformed theater, exaggeration, lies, and manipulation which makes him a poor leader for any role especially the role of President of the United States. Don't be fooled USA. Vote for Joe Biden for President of the United States.