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No one likes to be pressured into making a decision. But if there’s still time to resolve whether or not to do something, it’s best to use it until the very last second. There’s nothing like taking a chance that isn’t worth taking.

Weighing the risks against the rewards is a crucial aspect in decision making. The famous Stanley Kubrick lived by this rule:

Any time you take a chance you better be sure the rewards are worth the risk because they can put you away just as fast for a ten dollar heist as they can for a million dollar job.

– Stanley Kubrick

A noted director, screenwriter, and producer, Kubrick was perhaps best known for his science fiction film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. He spared no expense in making the 1968 drama of adventure and exploration, depicting evolution in a way that remains unique to this day. The effort still pays off, thanks to that. The film is so technologically accurate that many of the ideas behind it are still used in current Sci-Fi works. These include commercial space flights, giant orbital stations tablet computers, touch panels, voice-operated computers and of course artificial intelligence. Even the furniture used in the movie looks futuristic to this day.

Kubrick’s perfectionism meant that he usually demanded the same from others. He did things completely different than other directors, from the bold ideas he penned for his films to the mechanics behind the camera. He was, in many ways, a risk taker. One that made sure the sum would always be greater than the parts.