Hernán Cortés, Game Theory and Burning the Ships

It’s historical fiction, but if you haven’t heard the tale, it goes like this:

The year is 1519, Hernan Cortés has just landed in the “New World” and orders his men to “burn the ships” sending a clear message there was no turning back.

By setting ablaze the only immediate way out, all choice in the matter was removed, leaving only victory or death.

While the story about Cortés (like most history) is embellished and exaggerated, the lesson of the parable remains the same: All in or nothing at all.

Life can messy and humans are programmed to take the easiest route to living fat and lazy.

But taking the easy route will kill us slowly.

Oftentimes, to achieve our most audacious goals, risks must be taken. Places of comfort must be relinquished, and safe harbors must be left behind.

You can fail at what you don’t want to do with your life.

So you may as well do something that fires you the hell up.

Risk is present in anything we do.

We take risks applying for jobs. We take risks when we choose what school we attend. We take risks moving to new places. We take risks saying hello to that cute guy/girl/whatever. We take risks by falling in love.

We take risks by seizing opportunities, but we risk even more by not going for them.

Sometimes to get what you want out of life, be willing to burn the ships.