Stop Being Reasonable
Being reasonable is killing your potential. Here's why the most successful men reject moderation.
Three months ago, my friend David sat across from me at our usual spot downtown. I watched him stir his coffee for the tenth time, avoiding eye contact.
"I had the perfect opportunity," he said finally. "A chance to break away and start my own consulting firm. Three major clients ready to sign. The numbers made sense. The market timing was right."
I waited. I knew what was coming.
"But..." he trailed off, staring into his cup.
"You played it safe," I finished for him.
He nodded slowly. "Everyone said I should be reasonable. Think about the stable income. The benefits. The pension. Fifteen years at the company, you know?"
Yesterday, I ran into David again. His face told the story before he spoke.
One of his colleagues – the "unreasonable" one who everyone called reckless – had launched the exact same business David had planned. They'd just landed a $2 million contract. With David's department.
Now David sits in budget meetings, watching his former colleague's company logo on quarterly presentations, wondering what could have been.
All because he chose to be reasonable.
The Reasonable Trap
Society has sold you a lie.
Be reasonable, they say. Be measured. Think things through.
Sounds smart, right?
Wrong.
Every major breakthrough in history came from someone who rejected reasonable thinking.
The Wright brothers didn't reasonably decide humans should fly. Elon Musk didn't reasonably decide to land rockets. Steve Jobs didn't reasonably decide to put computers in our pockets.
Yet here you are, feeling proud of your reasonable approach to life.
Your reasonable career goals. Your reasonable business plans. Your reasonable ambitions.
And that's exactly why you're stuck.
Look at any man achieving extraordinary things.
They're not being reasonable.
They're not measuring twice and cutting once. They're not waiting for perfect conditions. They're not seeking everyone's approval.
They're doing what reasonable people call impossible.
And winning.
Why Reasonable Men Stay Small
Your reasonable thinking is a defense mechanism.
It protects you from:
Criticism
Failure
Standing out
Taking real risks
But it also protects you from:
Massive success
Breakthrough opportunities
Life-changing moments
Real fulfillment
The Price of Playing Safe
Every time you choose the reasonable path, you pay a hidden tax:
The opportunities you'll never see. The connections you'll never make. The potential you'll never reach.
Being reasonable isn't safe. It's slow-motion surrender.
Unreasonable in Action
Look at these "unreasonable" moves that paid off:
The account manager who spotted a gap in the market and pitched a new service line directly to the CEO, bypassing the usual channels. His initiative now generates $800K annually for the company.
The sales rep who spent his own money on a flight to meet a prospect who'd been ignoring calls for months. Landed a $350K contract over dinner.
The consultant who launched his firm with just two clients and a basic website. His competitors are still perfecting their business plans while he's scaling past $1M in revenue.
The Unreasonable Playbook
Here's how to be strategically unreasonable:
The 3X Rule Whatever goal you're considering - triple it. When your brain says "that's unreasonable" - you're finally thinking big enough.
The 24-Hour Strike See an opportunity? You have 24 hours to make a bold move. After that, the reasonable part of your brain will talk you out of it.
The Embarrassment Test If your plans don't make you slightly embarrassed to share with "reasonable" people, they're too small.
The Reality Check
Being unreasonable doesn't mean being reckless. It means:
Taking calculated risks others won't take
Moving at a pace others call crazy
Setting goals others call impossible
Making moves others call premature
But never risking what you can't afford to lose.
Smart unreasonable moves always have a backup plan. They're bold, not blind.
Your Move
Tonight, write down the most unreasonable move you could make tomorrow.
The one that makes your stomach tight. The one you'll probably delete. The one you don't want anyone to see.
That's your next move.
Because a year from now, you'll either be telling stories about the unreasonable move that changed everything...
Or still waiting for the reasonable moment that never comes.
Choose now.
And remember - no one ever built an empire by being reasonable.
- Morgan
Powerful perspective. Love it