cost of action vs. cost of inaction

While reading the preface of Code Complete I've found this (about the importance of "software construction" discipline compared to design, tests, management, etc):

Some commentators have pointed out that although constructions errors account for a high percentage of total errors, construction errors tend to be less expensive to fix than those caused by requirements and architecture, the suggestion being that they are therefore less important. The claim that construction errors cost less to fix is true but misleading because the cost of not fixing them can be incredibly high. (...) An inexpensive cost to fix obviously does not imply that fixing them should be a low priority.

This comparison between "cost to fix vs. cost to not fix" immediately made me remember a Tim Ferris's exercise regarding "fear-setting". He says that when you have to decide about doing something, you should always take into consideration the cost of action and the cost of inaction.

let’s say quitting your job, you might look at all of the various worst case scenarios, the terrible things could happen had offset them right. So you make a list defining all of the specific things that could happen that would be bad that would cause you some type of anxiety, depression, fear, etc. whatever might mean, loss.

What you might do, though, instead since that might be very obvious, is to write down similar list in detail, specificity is important, of all of the things that will cost you, all of the things that will happen if you don’t change, if you stay in your job, if you stay, for instance, in that relationship

If you telescope out, I recommend telescoping out, doing different time frames, so if in 6 months you don’t change anything, what will it cost you, make a list. In 12 months, what will it cost you, what will it cost the people you care for. Make a list. Alright, 18 months, 3 years.

You could do those 4, and just write down for you, for the people you care for, for others what will it cost if you don’t take that action. Right, this is very simply not just looking at risks and costs of action, but looking at the risks and costs which are probably in many ways guaranteed, this is not a guesswork. And using that as impetus, using that as a list of reasons to take uncomfortable action.

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