The Paradox of Possession
Our systems consistently undervalue what is already secured whilst readily paying a premium for what must be acquired. In business and life, we devalue the familiar, despite its proven utility and reliability. A company will refuse a 20% rise to a valuable employee, then willingly pay 50% more to replace them, absorbing the substantial invisible costs of lost knowledge and disruption. This paradox extends beyond commerce—we routinely discount existing relationships, opportunities, and possessions in favour of the untested promise of the new.
The profound irony: what we already hold contains precisely those qualities we seek elsewhere—reliability, depth of understanding, and contextual wisdom—yet we systematically dismiss their worth until their absence creates a void that demands significantly greater resources to fill. True wisdom lies not in constant acquisition but in recognising the compounding value of what already exists.