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Hemingway, a Lost Suitcase, and the Recipe for Stupidity

Five takeaways:

1. This article argues that the best intentions are no match for the havoc caused by stress, tiredness, and unusual circumstances– that poor decision making is often intimately related to one’s levels of stress or fear.
2. Before legendary writer Ernest Hemingway had ever published anything, his wife lost a suitcase that contained ALL his latest work. The article uses this as a two-pronged example for its thesis about poor decision making.
3. Hemingway’s wife, Elizabeth Hadley Richardson, was traveling and under duress when she lost the suitcase. She was out of her comfort zone and very thirsty– thus, she left the suitcase unattended, and it was taken. Her poor decision had been a result of personal difficulty.
4. Hemingway’s response to the disappointment and stress of the lost suitcase, however, was to adapt. He had to make up for lost time and work, so he began writing in the short, essential style that eventually made him one of the most beloved writers of all time.
5. The article argues that stupidity might be defined as “overlooking or dismissing crucial information,” and that we must understand the relationship between duress and poor decisions to recognize the stressful moments where we might be more prone to limited decision making.

From the Farnham Street Blog:
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