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About this quote

What does it mean?
Ignoring current societal problems will lead to significantly worse outcomes in the future.
In plain terms
If we ignore problems now, they will get much worse later.
What can you take from it?
Face problems early to prevent them from escalating.

Where it applies

  • strategic planning
  • leadership
  • public policy

Putting it to work

  • audit current risks
  • create action plans
  • schedule regular reviews

Questions to consider

  • What issues are we avoiding today?
  • How might delay cost us tomorrow?

Another view

Not all problems worsen at the same rate or predictability.

More from William Julius Wilson

  1. The black kids are more likely to live in segregated neighborhoods. They're influenced by styles and habits and patterns of behavior that have racial restricti…

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  2. The reason that the large proportion of female-headed families in the black community is a problem is not because they're headed by women, but because these fa…

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  3. The basic thesis of The Bridge Over the Racial Divide is that there is a growing inequality in American society, and ordinary families are, in effect, getting …

    Permalink to quote #40

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