Taking Account of Unforeseen Circumstances

A woman belonging to Lima in South America, having failed to find a satisfactory job, made up her mind to try her luck in North America, an affluent country. Too poor to afford an air fare, she conceived the notion of shutting herself inside a suitcase and having herself dispatched as a piece of luggage. The plan was carried out.

The plane which carried her landed at the Los Angeles International airport. All the bags of the passengers were unloaded from the aeroplane for collection. All but one suitcase was uncollected. The police, therefore, intervened to open this abandoned suitcase and take into custody the goods inside so that it could be handed over to the claimant whenever he turned up. Much to their horror, they unlocked it to find the corpse of a woman. Detectives were called in to investigate the case. They said: “The woman may have been crushed by the weight of other luggage.” (UPI)

This incident serves to illustrate one of life’s truths: taking whatever steps we feel are necessary does not, in itself, ensure our success. This is because there are so many external and unforeseen factors involved which impinge upon the course of our actions. We must take them into account whenever we are deciding upon a course of action. It is only when these factors are in consonance with the step taken, that we can hope to reach our destination.

This state of affairs takes a more critical turn when the person in question is a leader and he goes wrong in framing a policy which involves the whole nation. This is bound to cause widespread misery, if not total ruin. It is, therefore, imperative that a leader be as discreet and careful as possible in his decision-making. He should consider all of the possible pros and cons. He should look before he leaps. His failing to do so would amount to an unpardonable offence. It would be far better for him to take no action at all than to plunge the whole nation into strife and torment.