I was quite young when I first heard what I later found out was Netwon's Third Law: "To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction". Everybody has heard it at one time or another. It goes on to say "or the forces of two bodies on each other are always equal and are directed in opposite directions". The second part is not as famous as the first one.
What I understood however, was entirely not Physics related. For every force or effort there will be or at least possibly be, an opposing force. Try as you may, your efforts may be hampered by someone who is working against you or something that can ruin your work. This also applied for reasoning. For every reason for something, I can possibly find a reason against it.
That was a problem for me because if there is always an opposite force, everything I worked for suddenly became harder. I would always be pushing against something. A lot of times, life felt like I was pushing a boulder uphill. If I didn't keep pushing, life would roll me back down or roll over me.
Rather than this law be bad for us, it can be used as a useful resource instead. When we acknowledge the opposite or at the very least, it's possible existence, we can be more prepared in moving towards our goal. When we are trying to do something, if we know there could be problems, we can take precautions. Or the very least look out for signs of trouble.
We can also use the law to point out or find possible opposing viewpoints. This is useful when evaluating possible solutions in Step4. By accepting the law, you can convince yourself and others to look for why the possible solution could not work. For every possible solution, there now exists a reason or way or condition that this particular solution will not work. Knowing and understanding this will help determine whether the solution is viable when it is going to be executed. The point is not to be pessimistic. Putting up an opposing reason against a solution does not mean you are against it. It means that you want to explore every possible angle and be aware when it will not work.
It also requires you to not be too defensive. Just because an idea may not work, doesn't mean it will not work. Much like the question of bringing an umbrella out on a sunny day with a few dark clouds. Be positive in assessing the possible solution. When you know how it will not work, you can now takes steps so those conditions are avoided. You are now aware of the conditions of failure and keep an eye out for it.
What I finally understood from Newton's Third Law of Motion was that it was pointing to the possibility of an opposite force. It does exists. That force may be here or affecting me but it does exists. Accept it. I call this "removing the hurdle of impossibility". Thats the moment when we were still thinking, "That's impossible. That is never going to happen." For me personally, that is the sign of doom right there. Because now, some way or another, it will happen.
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