The Power of Small Choices

If you have 30 seconds

Last week, after dropping my wife off at the airport, I encountered an unexpected lesson in decision-making on my drive back. As I approached a fork in the road, I faced a split-second choice—remain in the right lane towards the M1/M8 or merge left onto the M5. At first glance, the difference appeared insignificant.

I chose the left lane, and to my surprise, it led me straight into a tunnel. Inside, my GPS wasn’t very helpful—it continued displaying my location as if I were above the tunnel. At one point, it instructed me to turn right, but, of course, there were no turns underground. By the time I emerged, I found myself far from my intended destination, needing to retrace my steps. A seemingly small choice had led to an unnecessarily long and complicated journey.

This experience reminded me of a profound truth: In life, small decisions can significantly impact our path. A minute compromise of our values, a tiny lapse in integrity, or an ostensibly harmless rationalisation may not feel consequential at first. Yet, these choices accumulate over time, leading us far from where we originally intended to be.

Maimonides (Hilchot Teshuva 6:3) teaches that moral decline happens gradually. A person doesn’t wake up one day as a sinner; rather, small, seemingly harmless decisions slowly reshape his character. However, just as negative habits form over time, so do positive ones. Every small step in the right direction has the power to bring us back. This is why Maimonides encourages taking one small step at a time in the process of teshuva (repentance)—even the smallest choice can change our course.

Before making even the smallest compromise, it is worth pausing to ask: Is this a turn I am willing to take if it leads me somewhere I never intended to be?

If you have another minute

A classic story illustrates this idea:

A king hosted a grand celebration, adorning his palace with a magnificent chandelier. During the festivities, a beggar entered the palace seeking clothing and was directed to a storage room where used garments were kept. As he gathered ten pieces of clothing, he realised he’d need a rope to bundle them together. He noticed a thick rope tied to the ceiling and thought to himself, I’ll cut a small piece—this is not going to do any harm, unaware that the rope was supporting the chandelier. That one small cut sent the entire chandelier crashing down, ruining the king’s celebration.

The lesson is clear: Sometimes, what seems like a harmless, minor action can lead to catastrophic consequences. A single misstep, however small, can trigger a chain reaction we never intended.

Psychologists refer to this phenomenon as the “slippery slope” effect—the tendency for small ethical compromises to escalate into larger moral failures over time. Research suggests that people who make small, seemingly harmless deviations from their values are more likely to justify greater transgressions later on.

One study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, found that even a minor act of dishonesty, such as exaggerating an expense report, makes individuals more likely to engage in larger dishonest acts in the future.

Our choices, no matter how small, set us on a trajectory. Just as small acts of kindness and integrity build a life of goodness, small compromises can erode our moral foundation over time.

May we always have the wisdom to recognise when a small decision could alter our course and the strength to stay true to our values.

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