I talked to Ben tonight, it’s his birthday today. I asked him some very dreadful and pointed question because Ben is someone who will tell you. He will absolutely tell you which is what he did last night and later I was talking to the soldier.

“Yeah, I asked him what he thought because do you know he’s never been wrong? In the 25 years I’ve known him, he has told me all kinds of things about my life and not once has he been wrong.”

“No?”

“No. And he has told me some shocking stuff. Yeah, Ben will tell you stuff you don’t even want to hear but invariably he’s right so I asked him about this tonight. How do you think this ends up?”

“Did he tell you?”

“Yeah,” I said, rattling off Ben’s hit on things, disturbing to the core. (this is my life not the collective btw)

“I don’t think he’s wrong,” the soldier said.

“Well I don’t think he is either. So if he thinks it goes this way and you think the same thing… I’d say that is definitive. And as bad as it is, I’d rather know. I mean I know what is coming, there will be no ambush…”

From there the soldier went on the rant of all rants and in the middle of it I realized I do the same thing with clients all the time. I tell them what is ahead so they’re prepared.

This is very valuable over time but not so much fun in the moment. In the moment people want to stuff a sock in your mouth but I just can’t see having a quarter and giving the person a dime.