The Short Answer: Response to a Coffee Cup

The Starbucks cups have a series of quotes called "The Way I See It," printed on them. I saw one on a prof's coffee cup and then found the whole lot of them online. I read the new ones from time to time. Today I was struck by one of the quotes and felt the need to answer the question in it. I will try to spend more time in reflection and composition of a well-thought-out response, but for now, here is the short answer.

But first, the question:

The Way I See It #168

The human brain is the only object in the known universe that can predict its own future and tell its own fortune. The fact that we can make disastrous decisions even as we foresee their consequences is the great, unsolved mystery of human behavior. When you hold your fate in your hands, why would you ever make a fist?
-- Daniel Gilbert, Harvard professor of psychology and author of Stumbling on Happiness.

Because sometimes, the end result is worth any of the consequences that come about on the way to it. The best way isn't always the easiest way. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made towards an ultimate goal. Suffering is often a part of living.

Starbucks: The Way I See It is a collection of thoughts, opinions and expressions provided by notable figures that appear on the Starbucks cups.