Only you
can prevent
forest fires
- Smokey the Bear

Have you ever taken a course in defensive driving? If so, you know that you must never allow yourself to be locked between two objects - especially if they are vehicles.

You can depend on your own skills, but you never know how the other driver will act. If one car veers out of the way, you should always have an out – a place to turn quickly - so that you will be able to move out of danger. That is why tailgaters can be so frustrating. It is difficult to get them out of your way, and you never know whether their reflexes will be fast enough in the event that you have to stop short.

Leaving yourself an out is not only a safe way to drive. It's also a wise way to look for a job or to handle other issues in life.

It's also a good reflection on attribution theory. An internal locus of control would indicate that you can control your fate. You can determine whether you will have an accident - and prevent it.

The Patriarch Jacob had a similar idea when he was about to meet his fearsome brother Esav. He planned in advance, allowing three options, so that he would be able to deal with any eventuality.

It would be wise to follow Jacob's advice with other issues as well.