When we’re learning to drive, we are taught to react to danger by hitting the brakes.

Sometimes the best action is to hit the gas instead.

Brakes may minimize the damage we take, but sometimes hitting the gas can avoid it entirely.

This is harder to teach.

This is skill dependent.

This is situation dependent.

The safer, less nuanced, and generally applicable advice is to “always hit the brakes.”

It’s the right way to train the masses—the right way to minimize damage over an infinite timeline with an endless number of drivers.

But it may not be the optimum decision for the scenario playing out on the road right in front of you.

A near-infinite number of combinations of risk and damage mitigation exists.

What if hitting the brakes results in a 50% reduction in damage, but hitting the gas gives you a 50% chance of avoiding it entirely at the risk of taking 25% more damage if you are wrong?

Each situation is unique. A multitude of factors in play. A split-second to decide.

Great drivers learn to make split seconds decisions on whether or not they have the chance to avoid damage altogether.

Hitting the brakes is the safest play, but it is not always the optimal play.

The same thing happens in business.

Amateurs are always looking for a reason to hit the brakes.

Experts know when to hit the gas.