A few weeks back, I was talking to a colleague who I respect and enjoy being around. We were sharing the ups and downs of each of our careers over the years and my friend brought up how we often found ourselves being tested by the Kobayashi Maru. With a quizzical look on my face, he seemed to take great joy in sharing that it was a sub-plot from the first Star Trek movie.
Since I was never much of a Star Trek fan, he was kind enough to tell me everything I needed to know about the term . . . and then some.
Simply put,
The test’s name is occasionally used to describe a no-win scenario, a test of one’s character or a solution that involves redefining the problem and managing an insurmountable scenario gracefully.
Since I do not believe “gracefully” has never been used as an adjective to describe my personality, I was beginning to understand some of my life’s outcomes better.
We shared some stories of being tested, both with negative and positive outcomes. We went on to agree that too often, people who don’t tolerate lies, laziness, disrespect or deceit are often labeled difficult. crazy or bitter. That I understood and I carry that banner proudly.
After our discussion, I felt confident that I would encounter more Kobayashi Maru Tests that would measure my gracefulness, not my rigorous honesty and confidence.
Again, that probably won’t work out so well.
How about you?
Mitigating Chaos 