Side Effects

What is the best mix of pros and cons you can pursue in your life today?

When it comes to medications, we are familiar with the reality of ‘side effects.’ We generally accept that healthcare involves tradeoffs, and because of this a doctor’s key job is to help ensure that the intended benefits (reduced pain, conquered bacteria or viruses, etc.) outweigh the unintended problems or risks (the bloating, nausea, diarrhea, or other problems read off at high speed at the end of the drug commercials).

Recently I’ve come to see how this reality of ‘side effects’ is not limited to healthcare – it shows up in nearly every dimension of life. International development, nonprofit organizations, education, parenting, careers, fitness, religion: most human endeavors involve a set of intended benefits or good things that are the focus of our efforts -- but also bring a set of unintended problems. The path forward is therefore to abandon the impossible path of seeking an ‘all pros, no cons’ approach, and instead seek to ensure that the intended benefits outweigh the unintended (but unavoidable) issues that arise.