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.And, perhaps, to the majority of all important decisions we make in ourlives.The board of directors that runs Dennis Publishing will talk earnestly andsensibly about the effect on morale for the rest of the company (usuallyforgetting to mention their own morale) in the event our proposed newmagazine bombs.(Nobody ever mentions the loss to my personal bankbalance or my morale.)In reality, Dennis Publishing staff working, say, on The Week or Maximor Computer Shopper, won't give two hoots if the company's new car maga-zine is a sensational flop.But by discussing the matter in such terms, in codeif you like, the board gives itself the opportunity to weigh their own fearswhile appearing to weigh the fears of others.Imputing desires or fears or loss of morale to others probably has a fancypsychological monicker - like auto-displacement activity.And it's notalwaysa bad thing.At least it encourages serious communication, even if it adds littleto the decision process.Even so, it is a form of well-disguised cowardice.On a less corporate level, the young woman mentioned above believes shewould like a career in car sales management, especially as a part-owner.Sheeven believes that she might be able to expand her father's business a tadmoreaggressively than he has done in the past.On the other hand, a Ph.D.wouldadd status to her life and offers the prospect of a fulfilling career in science.But she must decide.Her father is unwell and cannot wait another twoyears for her decision.What if she takes over the company and itsubsequentlygoes belly up? What if she shoots for a master's degree and does not achieveit?A failure to obtain her master's degree could be disguised fairly easily.It is not likely to be broadcast to the rest of the world.After all, she already hasa degree.If failure seems likely, she can always quit, claiming she hasbecomebored with bio-engineering.The decision to take over her dad's company,however, will be far more closely monitored by relatives and neighbours,by the people who work there, by rival car dealerships, by the bank manager,and not least by her father.Should she fail, she will run the risk ofbecominga laughing stock or an object of pity.So what is her best option?Much will depend on her desires and her goals in life.She is unlikely toget rich as a bio-engineer.But she might well get rich expanding the dealer-ship, especially because she is aware that her father has never invested to theextent that he might have done in marketing and promotion, especially onthe internet.There is an opportunity, but is she prepared to exploit it?Why is she unlikely to get rich in bio-engineering? Because starring upyour own bio-engineering firm takes vast quantities of capital and the persua-sive abilities of a Richard Branson to obtain it.The car dealership, however,is already capitalised, and although she will have to pay off her father even-tually, the repayments can be spread over a number of years.He is hardlylikely to foreclose on her.So what should our young college girl do? Normally, I would hesitate tooffer any advice whatever.But I happen to know her.I was half in love withher once.She happens to be real and her name is Julie.All this happened along time ago.In the event, she took her degree and her father sold the business to anoutsider.She is a highly competent bio-engineer and has enjoyed her careerenormously.But on more than one occasion, she has told me she regrets nottaking her father up on his offer.The passage of time and a happy marriagehave softened that regret.But it's still there.It will always be, I think.What swung the balance was her fear of failure in such a 'public' endeav-our.Or, at least, an endeavour that felt rather public at the time.She wasyoung.She was a woman.She was frightened that others (especially themale-dominated community of car sales firms) would laugh at her orcriticiseher lack of hands-on experience, even though she would have made anexcel- lent sales manager.She was not prepared to grow a carapace or to risk thefear of public humiliation and say:'To hell with them.Let's go!'Her decision still haunts her, if only from time to time.And it irks her toknow that she will never be rich
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