When things aren’t going well, and people are dissatisfied, the most popular calls are usually for things to be stopped. “This is bad, and it should be banned.” “This is unfair, and it shouldn’t be allowed.” “That is dangerous, and people should be stopped from doing it.” The odd thing is that much the same happens when people are very comfortable. It becomes very important to stop anything that disturbs that comfort....
After I wrote a little essay about life being better without planning, one of those fortunate coincidences occurred, and I found a book called “Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned”. I recommend the book. It may not convince you, but it presents a perspective that even sceptics could usefully consider. It makes the case, from a technical and practical base, that no ground-breaking achievement can ever be achieved by deciding on the steps to get there and working through them....