Consistency Is Key
Consistency is Key. That’s what they say. I think they are right.
I’m not consistent, and I can see the suffering that it’s caused me, and the harm to me financially. Being inconsistent is not only bad for building a wonderful resumé and climbing up the corporate ladder, it’s also bad for building relationships. A simple change in your interests can cause a ripple of problems. From leaving your current job because it no longer interests you, to upsetting your partner because you no longer wear that type of clothing, to creating a contradictory statement about your beliefs - inconsistency can be so harmful. Not to mention, that changing your mind like this can result in large financial costs, such as moving, starting a new job, potential change in salary, replacing your wardrobe, failure to get married etc. Without a consistent version of “you” to move forward with in the world, it can be treacherous, exhausting, and downright harmful.
Having a consistent identity, with a fixed set of preferences and interests, allows a gradual accumulation of resources, and can lead to significant achievements in one’s area of interest. For example, if you like artwork, and you start collecting it when you’re fifteen years old, you could have an astounding collection by the age of 60. The knowledge and style of your collection will have evolved throughout the years, potentially culminating in a collection that could likely be turned into a gallery or small museum. This sustained hobby could become your career in the latter half of your life, as well as a solid nest egg.
Regarding consistency in one’s career, on the other hand, a sustained effort in one small piece of the science world could have longstanding consequences. For example, despite feeling isolated and perhaps insignificant in the field of electronics, over time you develop ten patents. By the time you retire, one of your patents becomes critical to the next iPhone, enabling an enhanced user experience that would be impossible without it. Additionally, the income that is generated from this sale of your patent helps to cushion your retirement fund. Slow and consistent work allowed for this impact.
Regarding relationships, a consistency of ideas, preferences, and behaviors is equally beneficial. As you move through life, a well-defined identity lets people know clearly who you are, and whether they would like to be associated with you. If you are clear on what you like, what you like to do, and how you like to do it, you make your friendship easier to maintain. You become easy to buy gifts for. Your behaviors become easy to predict. You become a neatly defined person, whose preferences and habits can be summarized in a tidy package. Simple, yes, but also manageable and likeable. This simplicity and consistency is all the more important in maintaining a marriage. Every change in one of the spouses may produce a degree of stress in the other. Consistency breeds comfort and stability, two traits that are essential for a long relationship. Divorce is expensive, and emotionally exhausting. If you can be married only once in your life, you have a great advantage over those who have divorced.
Lastly, legacy is positively influenced by consistency. A eulogy aims to summarize a person’s life in a handful of sentences. Imagine trying to do this for an inconsistent and wandering person. How challenging it would be to condense this person’s life into a couple of paragraphs! It would be like trying to find a royal flush with all 52 cards thrown onto the floor haphazardly. But a consistent person is easily summarized, and equally easily remembered. A story with a neat beginning, middle and end is one that sticks in our minds, like Cinderella. Legacy is largely determined by how well you are remembered, and the memory is improved if your life paints a clear and vivid picture. Additionally, like a dull knife vs. a sharp knife, a focused and consistent life cuts deeper, leaving a lasting mark. An inconsistent life is like a dull knife that makes many marks, but none with much depth or intent. In the end, it’s the consistent life that is remembered.
The lives of Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking, and Mahatma Gandhi had ups and downs. But, their core beliefs and focuses remained consistent throughout their life. Despite their many successes and bold ideas, their lives can be neatly described in a paragraph or two. This precision allows them to remain in our memories for generations, preserving their legacies for centuries. Despite all of the many traits available to us as humans, it appears that consistency may be the most important one to cultivate. Perhaps consistency isn’t just key...it may also be the lock, the door, and the whole damn house.
