About this quote

People sometimes hide behind rules to avoid making hard choices. Ask yourself what outcome you want. Let that outcome guide your action rather than an automatic appeal to what ‘looks proper.’ If a rule would make things worse, fix the harm first and be ready to explain why you acted.

When to use it

• Work — at a product meeting: I said I would delay the release because shipping with that security hole would hurt customers, even if the deadline slipped.
• Family — deciding care for my mother: when relatives wanted to downplay her symptoms, I insisted we tell her and get proper help, even though it would be uncomfortable.
• Money — with my accountant: he suggested a risky tax move that would save me cash; I refused and paid more because I didn't want that on my conscience.
• Sport — as team captain: the coach told me to bench an injured player to keep the edge, and I refused because playing would make the injury worse.