Office Life: Have learned this the hard way. “Stop looking for fairness & justice. Focus on making a positive difference.”

Marshall Goldsmith:

You expect office life to be fair? Wait, we’re still laughing…The world is not a particularly rational place. We humans are profoundly illogical. Otherwise, wars would never begin. Still, we devote many of our waking hours to trying to find logic in situations where none exists. Our minds need order and fairness and justice. But much of life is neither fair nor just…Many of us lose mojo at home because of our persistent need to be right and prove that our partners are wrong in pointless arguments. Once we make peace with the fact that all decision are made by real people—not logical people—life gets easier. We make more of a positive difference and feel happier. If you’re looking for your own view of logic to win the day, you may be looking in the wrong place. If you focus on making a positive difference, instead of just being satisfied with feeling “right,” you will benefit both your company and your career. You may ultimately increase, rather than damage, your mojo. At home, a common message from ministers to newly married couples is, “Would you rather be right—or have a happy marriage?” The next time you pride yourself on your superior “logic” and damage relationships with the people that you need at work—or the people that you love at home—ask yourself, “How logical was that?”