The Supreme Secret to Success

There is an old adage which goes something like, "undertake the easy as though it was difficult and the difficult as though it was easy." The logic behind it is supposed to be so that we do not become either too confident in ourselves when confronted with a seemingly effortless task; or, on the other hand, too discouraged in the face of adversity.

There is no doubt that such rationale does in fact make sense, when one goes on to seriously consider it.

It is true that sometimes we have to treat a fairly easy problem with the same vigor and intensity we exert when we are facing far more complex situations. This, so as not to become complacent and end up with solutions still raw and rather poorly thought of. It is very easy to lose sight of an objective, especially when it appears to be all that straightforward. In the past, this has been known to cause the downfall of many great minds.

At the other end of the spectrum, it is also no less true that there are also moments when we have to treat difficulties as though there were but easy ones. After all, being in such tricky situations is bad enough; to blow them out proportion --- by highlighting their complexities --- would only make matters worse. Nothing good would come out of it. On the contrary, just about every bad thing could crop up. When it rains, it pours, as some would have it.

These notwithstanding, amid the apparent soundness or logic such principle appears to exude, there is always the need to be wary and cautious of the times when pretending would actually do us some good. This, for there is also instances when such practice may instead cause more harm than its intended benefits. There are times when the situation still calls for one's dedication to the truth --- be it by telling it so, or by acting it out before others. In those times, make-beliefs take a backseat. And honesty still reigns supreme.

Truth be told, one would be right to say that, from all of this, one can never go wrong when always taking things in moderation. Pretending, included.