One view into the future that you may be able to predict accurately, relates to that which is current: you can predict fairly accurately that it will not last. Forecasting that which will fail, self-destruct, be consumed, or go out of fashion will be far more accurate than trying to forecast that which will come into existence, be invented, or become fashionable in the future. It’s interesting to note how the passage of time itself tells us what is durable and long lasting, and what is not. That is why so much stock is put in things that are time-tested. The world of today is not that different from the world of yesteryear. Clothing, cookery, utensils, housing, transportation, much of it has been tweaked and refined and that is where the majority of our effort actually goes, into improving things that are already working.

So that is the question you have to try to answer. What is it that time will undo, cause to fail, or destroy? Having a high level of confidence in that predication, how can you take advantage of it? Will this stand the test of time? That is the question you need to ask. And if you recognize that it will not, what is your exit strategy? Failing to have an exit strategy when faced with obsolescence or terminal uniqueness is not good. “You gotta know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em!1” There is much less excuse for failing to recognize failure when it happens, or is eminent than for failing to recognize the next great invention. Trying to find the next big thing is incredibly difficult, and is usually something that happens serendipitously to those who are, in fact, paying attention. Finding such a thing is generally not what they actually set out to do. That was not their mission statement. It just happened, and they were astute enough to connect the dots.

The true warrior is constantly assessing the relative strengths of that which exists around him, and chooses carefully, avoiding that which he believes will fail or is too weak to get the job done. This way his arsenal is less likely to contain weapons that will fail at critical and inopportune times. You are warriors and you will see that which will fail. Use this gift to develop an arsenal that will truly support your endeavours. You will be more successful as a result. So it has been written.