Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou. This investigative account of the Theranos scandal highlights how rapid, sometimes reckless, decision-making is embedded in American startup culture. Executives and investors often made decisions quickly to seize opportunities, sometimes at the expense of thoroughness. The book underscores both the benefits and dangers of the “move fast, fix later” approach.
time
Babylon Berlin
Set in 1920s Berlin, this series depicts police and political officials navigating a turbulent era. The main characters often face high-stakes decisions and are shown taking time to gather information, consult with colleagues, and deliberate, even as external events create urgency. The show’s narrative structure rewards patience and careful planning.
German Reunification (1989–1990)
The process of reunifying East and West Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall involved months of negotiations among German leaders and with international powers. Rather than rushing to immediate reunification, German officials and their allies took time to address legal, economic, and security concerns, ensuring a stable and lasting outcome.
Miss Merkel
In this crime series, a fictionalized Angela Merkel solves mysteries with the same patience and methodical questioning she was known for as chancellor. The show highlights her tendency to “wear down” suspects with persistent, careful interrogation, mirroring her real-life approach to political negotiations, where she was famous for her endurance and refusal to be rushed.
Triple Alliance
Patience played a significant role in Germany’s decision to join and shape the Triple Alliance. German leadership, particularly under Bismarck, approached alliance-building with careful, deliberate diplomacy, allowing the nature and stakes of the decision to dictate the pace rather than succumbing to external pressures or hasty proposals.
Historical records show that German diplomats were wary of rushing into agreements, especially when approached by Britain about joining the alliance. The German government interpreted Britain’s urgency as a sign of British weakness and saw no reason to accelerate their own decision-making process. Instead, they used the opportunity to negotiate from a position of strength, raising their own terms and ensuring that any agreement would serve Germany’s long-term strategic interests.
Additionally, the process of forming and maintaining the Triple Alliance itself was marked by careful negotiation and patience. Germany prioritized frontier security and the stability of its alliances with Austria-Hungary and Italy, weighing the benefits and risks over time rather than making impulsive decisions based on immediate diplomatic overtures. German diplomats often delayed or slowed negotiations, insisting on clarity and thoroughness before committing to any binding agreements.
In summary, Germany’s approach to joining the Triple Alliance exemplified the national logic that the timing and nature of major decisions should be determined by strategic considerations and patience, not by the urgency of external actors or short-term pressures.
dangers to haste
In Thomas Mann’s Buddenbrooks, the decline of a merchant family is depicted through generations, with characters often engaging in lengthy deliberations about business and personal decisions. In The Magic Mountain, the protagonist Hans Castorp spends years in a sanatorium, using this time for philosophical reflection and gradual decision-making about his life’s direction. Mann’s works frequently explore the virtue of patience and the dangers of succumbing to haste or external pressures.
Swiss marksman
Friedrich Schiller – Wilhelm Tell. Schiller’s play, centered on the legendary Swiss marksman, highlights the importance of waiting for the right moment to act. The characters carefully consider their actions, resisting provocation and external pressure until the time is right, embodying the principle that patience leads to the best outcomes.
Ulrich contemplates
Robert Musil – Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften (The Man Without Qualities): This modernist masterpiece is known for its intellectual depth and the protagonist’s reluctance to make hasty decisions. Musil’s Ulrich is a thinker who values contemplation and the suspension of judgment, reflecting the German ideal of allowing time and thoughtfulness to guide important choices.