Precautionary Principle

An ounce of prevention. . .

The precautionary principle is decision making for what should be accepted or rejected in situations where you do not have enough evidence, or at least do not have enough evidence yet.
—Nassim Taleb

Check out this short clip it was the genesis of this Spark.

Benjamin Franklin use to say, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” which sums up the precautionary principle perfectly. It’s about exercising caution when there’s uncertainty about potential risks, emphasizing prevention over dealing with consequences later.

In short, avoid unnecessary risks. Big risks make sense on a smaller scale, where innovation thrives—not when the stakes are high.

Stay smart and avoid big risks when the consequences could be serious.