The postponed Lunch Meeting

I have lunch bets with my colleagues all the time to demonstrate my conviction on particular investment ideas. After a couple of lost lunches last year I was finally happy to win one. To my surprise the colleague never reached out to me. A month after the Trump victory we bumped into each other and he lectured me how the Republicans will likely make America great again over the next 8 years. My stomach shriveled as I happen to passionately disagree with his thesis. But then it occurred to me, perhaps the colleague didn't reach out to meet with me because he felt my democratic vibes and preferred to stay away from me.

Another month passed and I eventually forgot about the whole thing when I saw him rushing to my office, saying, "I just remembered about our lunch bet. Please put it on my calendar immediately, I do remember the names of my children and the people who work for me, but that's about all!" When he said it, it actually didn't come as a surprise at all. My friend focuses on extremely short moving financial transactions; if I did the kind of work he does, I also would have a scatter-brain.

In any case, I happily obliged and took it as yet another lesson learned to never presume anything. We just never know what happens in other people's head and assuming on their behalf turns out to be counter-productive and wrong more often than not.