Situation: The guiding principles of situation

Hi, welcome to the fourteenth day of The Leads Intellectual challenge: a 30-day challenge with Fatai Kareem. If you would like to know the relationship between situational factors and event, then read the thirteenth day challenge here.

Today, he will be discussing the guiding principle of a situation. Why are some measures meant to stop some conditions from occuring? Why do you insure some things? Why are standards followed? Why is the government trying to contain the spread of covid-19? Why are some situations desired while some are detested?

Well, understanding the guiding principle of the situation will enable you to find answers to questions like those ones above. What are these guiding principles?

The guiding principle of a situation is about how you are interacting with the situation based on the effect it is likely to have on you, your organisation, or in the society. This principle states that if a situation is perceived to have a beneficial or desirable effect, it is likely to be protected; otherwise, it is likely to be prevented.

When a situation occurs, it usually has an effect which can be desirable or undesirable or both in case of complex situation e.g where a solution to a problem solves the problem and creates another problem. Due to this effect, which can be said to be either desirable or undesirable, a situation maybe desired or detested. A situation that that is perceived to have a desirable effect when it occurs is usually desired. Hence, you are likely to do something that will make it to occur: you would protect the situation. While a situation that is perceived to have an undesirable effect when it occurs is usually detested. Hence, you are likely to to do something that will prevent it from occuring: you would prevent the situation. Thus, the underlying principle of protective and preventive rule of situation comes into play.

The underlying principle of protective rule of situation follows that a person is likely to do something to make a situation with a desirable effect to occur, and protect such  occurrence in order to enjoy its benefits for long. Likewise, a person is likely to safeguard important conditions/factors if undesirable situation is likely to occur, so as protect those things from the adverse effects of the situation.

The underlying principle of preventive rule of the situation follows that a person is likely to do something to stop a situation with an undesirable effect from occuring, and prevent anything that can make it to occur in order to be saved from its undesirable or adverse effect. Likewise, a person is likely to avoid or withdraw from undesirable situation when it occurs, or seek means of getting out or rid of such situation.

Following these rules, situation is perceived in two ways such as being desirable or undesirable. Desirable situation influences positive behaviour, emotion, thought, response and attitude. It makes you to feel good to welcome the situation because you expect to get something that will satisfy you from its occurrence. You would like it to occur. Hence, you want to protect it, so as to enjoy its benefits. Undesirable situation influences negative behaviour, emotion, thought, response and attitude. It makes you to feel bad to perceive its occurrence because you expect to get something that will satisfy you from its occurrence. You would like it to stop. Hence, you want to prevent it, so as to stop its displeasure. Therefore, you pay attention to what is going on within and around you in order to understand which category the situation belongs and take necessary action to be takeneither protect it or prevent it.

These guiding principles serve as the basis of making decisions in any situation you find yourself. It follows comparative reasoning such that you accept to do something if it is pereceived to be beneficial, or else you reject it. At times, you choose to do something unwillingly because doing so is beneficial by preventing worse situation from occuring. That is, what you choose to do out of your will, maybe you are forced to do it, has bearable displeasure or pains compared to if you choose not to do it. It makes you to you make the best choice out of many alternatives based on the one that is the most beneficial and protect (accept) it while preventing (rejecting) other alternatives.

Case study

1. DEFGH & co has to choose one outcome out of three possible outcomes: to launch a new product, to re-design existing one or to do nothing. Launching a new product has a projected cost of $60,000 with a projected revenue of $55,000. Re-designing existing product has a projected increase in cost by 10% (cost: $40,000) with a projected increase in revenue by 5% (revenue: $45,000). Doing nothing leaves the cost to be $40,000 and revenue to be $45,000. Which option is the company likely to choose? Why?

2. Nofeesat just get a new car, but stealing of car is a common thing in her area. What is she likely to do to enjoy the car? 

3. Abraham is heard shouting "help me!!!". What could have made him be shouting for help? What benefit will he get from it? What kind of rule of situation is he applying in this case?

Disclaimer: All names used are meant for illustration purpose.

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