“The longer I watch current events, the more I have come to see how many of our troubles arise from the habit, on all sides, of suppressing or distorting what we know quite well is the truth, out of devotion to a cause, an ambition, or an institution; at bottom, this devotion being inspired by our own interest.”
One could easily assume that this person is talking about COVID, inflation, or even the latest push for ESG.
But B.H. Liddell Hart wrote these words back in 1944 when he put together his reflections on history. Human misjudgments, power, authority, and self interest are unfortunately not new or novel ideas. They have existed for centuries.
At the close of World War II, Hart recognized a common theme:
“The most dangerous error is failure to recognize our own tendency to error. That failure is a common affliction of authority.”
B.H. Liddell Hart was an avid student of military history. His studies were unique in that he frequently and objectively tried to review first hand sources. He also knew that you must consider the source and perspective from which you are gaining your information.
“History has limitations as a guiding signpost, however, for although it can show us the right direction, it does not give detailed information about the road conditions.”
– B.H. Liddell Hart
Think about the difference between historical accounts from any conflict throughout history:
- Persian vs. Greek
- Roman vs. Saxon
- Spanish vs. Aztec
Hart’s effort to learn from the past is echoed most recently by Charlie Munger:
“You can learn a lot from dead people. Read of the deceased you admire and detest.”
The Real Con is that context matters. In real estate, construction, and many other industries today so much effort is wasted on arguing about who is right and who is wrong. Instead of learning, adapting, and improving, many people dig in and fight. It can be architects, engineers, contractors, developers, or investors. It can be lenders. It can be brokers.
Unfortunately learning from our own mistakes is very narrow and limiting. Life is too short. B.H. cites a man who 2,000 years ago understood the importance of learning from others:
“There are two roads to the reformation of mankind, one through misfortunes of their own, the other through the misfortunes of others; the former is the most unmistakable, the latter the less painful… we should always look out for the latter, for thereby we can, without hurt to ourselves, gain a clearer view of the best course to pursue… the knowledge gained from the study of true history is the best of all educations for practical life.” – Polybius, 264–146 BC
My first job as a professional out of school was learning from the misfortunes of others. I could tell you everything about real estate and construction by simply explaining what not to do. In that job I was always in search of the truth. As a forensic engineer, we had to investigate failures and determine the truth to the best our our ability.
B.H. knew the value of searching for the truth:
“How rarely does one meet anyone whose first reaction to anything is to ask “Is it true?”
It is almost laughable how many times I see schedules or budgets change after the fact. It is rare for anything to go according to plan. Life happens, I get it. But it is more rare to find someone that is in search of the truth, no matter the consequence.
Why did the schedule shift? Why was this expense unexpected? How do we avoid this mistake the next time around? What can we do to communicate more effectively? Are we getting the information quick enough to make good decisions?
“History can show us what to avoid, even if it does not teach us what to do, by showing the most common mistakes that mankind is apt to make and repeat.”
– B.H. Liddell Hart
Truth and history are relative. Perspective and context are always changing.
How can you improve your search for truth through the study of your own history?
How can you improve your perspective by learning from the history of others?
Why do I think people avoid the truth? Fear. Fear of what might happen to them…but that is a topic for another day.
The Real Con 017