I love the way Ted Leeson, author of the classic book The Habit of Rivers, captures this phenomenon.
Someone once asked Ray Charles what the worst part of being blind was; he replied, “Not being able to see.” Some things are pointedly obvious, and for that reason alone are easily overlooked.
In the same vein, people often tell us the truth about themselves or their business intentionally or unintentionally. But typically, it is easy to discern.
Leeson gives this example at another point in his book:
For reasons that became abundantly clear, it [the diner] announced itself with a handlettered sign–no name, just a message: “The Worst Food in Oregon.” This, I discovered, was no joke. The coffee might just have been the worst in the world. I ordered up the breakfast special (recorded in my notes as “Toast-and-Eggs Regret”), and under the circumstances, found it difficult to complain about the result, the cook having lived up so fully to his end of the agreement.
Our tendency to overlook the obvious, or to dismiss and avoid painful realities, is somewhat natural, like a self-defense mechanism. It’s just not helpful for very long.
Take a moment to reflect on your own present realities. Are you overlooking the obvious? If so, what do you need to do about it?
Worth Repeating
Sometimes the first duty of intelligent men is the restatement of the obvious.
-George Orwell
