I was watching the end of some catastrophe show on Discovery Channel, Scary Landings or some such drivel. The last bit of the show was about the crash landing of that plane in the Hudson. They were interviewing the captain and he mentioned that the airline industry does all that it can to avoid surprise. This statement blew me away. It was an almost throw away comment, but it spoke such a simple and profound truth.
I do all that I can to court surprise in my job. I try to find the new and unexpected to give us an edge. I look for surprises in a small range of things in my personal life. I like to try new beers. The internet makes checking out new music a virtually risk free endeavor.
My reaction to surprise, how much I need it, what I do when I stumble onto it, and whether I structure my life to tempt its arrival, says more about me than anything I may have professed on this blog. Our orientation to risk and surprise, whether we're thrilled by the new or uncertain about the uncertain, dictates our approach to all the really critical parts of life.
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