From Avengers to Harry Potter, the choices we make matter

Iron Man: We all right? You're back. You're alright.

Doctor Strange: I went forward in time to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict.

Star-Lord: How many did you see?

Doctor Strange: Fourteen million six hundred and five.

Iron Man: How many did we win?

[long beat]

Doctor Strange: One.

— Avengers: Endgame

Incidentally, the sole scenario where the Avengers were able to save the world is when Tony Stark (Iron Man) made the choice (out of the 14,000,605 possible realities), to give up his life for the greater good of humanity.

The instance in the final Avengers film speaks to the consequence of making a choice among seemingly infinite possibilities in the multiverse. While the concept of a multiverse may be debatable in quantum physics, it’s not really very far from us. In a way, the human mind is but a microcosm of the vast universe that holds infinite possibilities. Our mind is full of untapped and unbridled potential to explore the infinite possibilities in a moment and therefore, life.

How is this possible?

Through the practice of ‘karma yoga’ one is able to embrace a moment with all its limitless possibilities and infinite potential. Detaching ourselves from the notion of an outcome makes it easier to explore each moment this way. It may seem complicated in theory, but a diligent focus on serving my swadharma has helped me put this into practice throughout my journey.

Think of it from the perspective of the Effectuation Principles propounded by Saras Sarasvathy, one of the foremost researchers of entrepreneurial thinking in the world. The Crazy Quilt Principle proposes that as an entrepreneur, I am better off working with like-minded, purpose-aligned strategic partners, and co-creating the solution than going in with preconceived notions of what my solutions should be.

The idea is to choose partners who are excited about the problem that I am trying to solve, rather than trying to select people who like my solution. This increases the chances of success because every single person I choose to work with is equally passionate about the problem (the larger purpose). Ergo, I won’t end up holding onto my small patch of the quilt (solution) but will work towards integrating other patches of quilts (of different colours – therefore a crazy quilt) to build a bigger quilt collaboratively. The practice of this principle requires us to do these things simultaneously — keep the focus on the larger purpose, approach every moment as one that holds infinite possibilities, and make the right choices at that moment.

The Choices That Matter

Both good and bad emerge as potential choices when faced with infinite possibilities. So how do we make the right choice?

What determines the choice is the purity of our intent and the clarity of purpose. There are times when a choice may feel right because it has a favourable short-term outcome. When faced with such a scenario I ask myself: is this for the greater good and does it serve my purpose?

Consider the Wizarding World of JK Rowling — one of my favourite worlds. In the series’ second book, when Harry Potter returns from his trip to the Chamber after having ‘killed’ Voldemort for a second time, he tells Dumbledore about how Tom Riddle tells Harry they’re both similar, because of the likeness in their personality traits. In Harry’s innocent child’s mind, merely the presence of similar qualities made him and Tom Riddle alike. Dumbledore then goes on calmly explain to Harry that while he may possess the qualities that Salazar Slytherin himself possessed, the sorting hat placed Harry in Gryffindor, because he asked to be sorted in Gryffindor — a choice he actively made.

In Dumbledore’s words, therefore, “It is our choices that show who we truly are, far more than our abilities”.

Life presents us all with similar choices. At the end of the day, what helps us make the right choice, is the openness to embrace all possibilities that exist now, the purity of intent and clarity of purpose, and the ability to operate from a ‘karma yoga’ perspective of detaching oneself from the outcomes of these choices. No matter the endeavour in life, the process of putting these three principles into practice itself is a resounding success.

(Madan Padaki is co-founder, Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship, and President, TiE Bangalore)

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH)