theoretical and practical

in the world of Warhammer 40k,
there is a man called Roboute Guilliman.
(pronounced roo-boot, gill-ih-man)

Guilliman is a master strategist and leader of men,
revered for his universal pragmatism and resourcefulness.

one of his famed thought practices is the
“theoretical, practical” approach to problem-solving.

the process goes like this: state a problem you have
as the “theoretical”. then, name states of reality or
solutions pertaining to the problem that you can accomplish.

for example:
theoretical: i need to take a shit.
practical: i can go to the bathroom.
practical: i can shit my pants.
practical: i can defer this task by holding it in.

by listing out your options in a clear format,
you gauge the possibilities without entertaining
ideas that are simply impossible (i refuse to take a shit).

it’s not particularly outstanding or anything,
i think most humans do this automatically.
but it’s a neat little thing that they have in 40K
that just sounds cool. theoretical. practical.

thanks for reading today’s post.
practical: i should go to sleep to be rested for work tomorrow.