REVIEW: Dr. Vincent DeFilippo, PhD — Braking Point (BOOK)
“…avoiding bad (or even catastrophic) decision-making is an art that requires awareness — self-awareness, first of all. You need to know yourself, your strengths, weaknesses, insights, blind spots. It also requires situational awareness.
That is, an awareness of the various pitfalls decision-makers (specifically YOU) are prone to, and the big red flags and subtle warning signs that accompany them. This awareness is the first step in the process of (ahem) fool-proofing your decision-making process,” writes Dr. Vincent DeFilippo, PhD — in his new book, Braking Point: How Escalation of Commitment Is Destroying the World (and How You Can Save Yourself). In it, Dr. DeFilippo takes his case to the core reading base with the implementation of what he calls the Avoidance of Escalations Commitment, or EoC.
URL: https://www.vincentdefilippo.com/
It’s in essence a series of steps and mental gymnastics based on statistics and preexistent strategy to track and predict outcomes before they happen, so as to ensure maximum performative potential from the get-go. As far as Dr. DeFilippo seems to be concerned, failure in departments related to what the Avoidance of Escalations Commitment (EoC) insures is a matter of not implementing its arguably common-sense bastion-originated concepts.
He essentially makes the case there is no reason one shouldn’t implement this methodology, just like there is no reason one shouldn’t implement — God forbid — the best appliances to help them breathe properly. In less competent hands, this could seem like glorified, bonafide carnival barking. Even some of the best of the best come across this way in terms of high-handed, absolutist delivery. But Dr. DeFilippo is smart in that he presents as such, but each stanza highlighting the decidedly egocentric approach is juxtaposed by the following stanza confirming objectively the facts. Smart moves, indeed.
“When you’ve zeroed out your emotional engagement, made sure this is your decision to make, taken stock of what you know about it, set your limits for risk, and considered the possible outcomes, heed your own advice. Stay the course. Stick to your guns. Or insert your own aphorism here that means listen to yourself. You’re probably wiser than you think,” Dr. DeFilippo writes. “…Few things make me laugh more than when I hear the phrase ‘fear of commitment.’ Because let’s face it: Even the act of not committing to something is a form of commitment. Lurking in those three words I think many of us hear a sort of inevitability, a permanence; we think of sayings like it’s all or nothing; in for a penny, in for a pound.
The truth is that making a commitment to something — a person, a purchase, a job, an organization, a career, an event — may not work out as we hope. It may lead to actions that get us even deeper into a dubious commitment that, in turn, can trap us in a downward spiral of diminishing returns. What do I mean? Consider how, when some stocks plunge, brokers typically advise us to buy more. When a rider falls off a horse, she’s told to get back into the saddle.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Braking-Point-Escalation-Commitment-Destroying/dp/B0C4N7X5JH
When some marriages begin to fail, partners inexplicably decide to have a baby. When lookouts report icebergs in the water, the captain orders full speed ahead. This raises the question: When is the right time to change course or lower the speed? When is it the right time to sell? When is the right time to bail altogether? There’s gotta be a formula for that, right? Sorry, no formula. That’s the bad news. The good news is, you can learn to analyze escalating commitments in ways that will allow you to see the full scope of what you’re committed or committing to. You’ll know your limits and can prioritize your goals. The path forward will become clear; you’ll be able to stop yourself before you get trapped in an escalation of commitment.”
Colin Jordan
