This is a maxim in the carpentry industry that has been around a very long time, and for good reason. Carpenters would not long keep their jobs by wasting materials and money resulting from an error in measuring, and transferring those measurements to the material to be cut. Thus, the wise rule: take the time to measure and mark, and then do it again, to make double sure. It is a rule we will all benefit from in making decisions in our daily lives.
The human brain, regardless of how intelligent or educated, is prone to error. An enormous amount of research has gone into understanding why human decision making is prone to flaws. And the reasons for flawed decision making are numerous. They range from distraction interrupting the decision process to bio chemical exchanges in the brain resulting from myriad factors such as diet, sleep, and age.
But, the most prevalent cause of faulty decision making is assumption. Assuming we know something that, in reality, proves to be untrue or unreliable. How often have we heard the phrase immediately following a mistake: "But, I thought..." Which is a cover up. It is not what we thought that caused the error, it is what we assumed we knew.
The faulty thought is often the byproduct of an assumption which was not verified for accuracy. This is why, in carpentry, one never relies on one's memory for measurements. One writes the measurement down, immediately upon taking the measurement. Transfers it to the material to be cut. And then goes back and measures again to verify the numbers on the material match the measurement by measuring again. It is a fool proof course of action.
A wise person will question their assumptions as a routine exercise in living. A wise person is a curious person, seeking the truth, or reality, underlying what they think they know, as a way of going about each day's living. A wise person measures twice, and cuts their decision, once.
Just as important, a wise person coming across what appears to be the same situation again, will not assume it is the same. Instead, they will take a brief period to reexamine whether or not this apparent similar situation, is in fact, the same as a previous one. Sometimes, even the slightest of differences, can warrant a different decision.
Sounds like a lot of extra work. But, correcting mistakes in our decision making is nearly always more costly and time consuming, than taking the steps to make sure the first decision was the right one.
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