The Unthinkable: Why We Refuse to Look, and Why We Must
You want to say, “I saw this coming. I prepared. Let’s go.” The Unthinkable
Great leaders, resilient families, and durable people do something small but radical: they mentally rehearse the unthinkable. The Unthinkable: Why We Refuse to Look, and
That’s the unthinkable. Not the impossible. Not the fantastical. But the deeply, terrifyingly possible scenario we refuse to prepare for. In 2012, most people in Hurricane Sandy’s path thought, “It won’t be that bad.” In 2020, even as ships anchored offshore, business leaders whispered, “Supply chains are resilient.” In 2023, as AI models improved at a startling rate, regulators said, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” That’s the unthinkable
We have a strange relationship with the edge of our own imagination.
Not to manifest it. To disarm it.
That’s not pessimism. That’s the most optimistic thing a person can do: believe they are strong enough to look at the dark, so they can build a light that actually lasts. What’s one “unthinkable” scenario you’ve been avoiding? Not to scare you—but to make you ready. Drop a thought below.