Do you know Odin? He is THE major god in the Norse mythology, also known as Wodan. He is associated with many (even contradicting) things, like fight, battle, war, victory and even death on one side and wisdom, prophecy or poetry on the other side. Odin is the father of Thor, who had even more destructive orientation, including the corresponding tool.

Illustrations show Odin usually with an eye patch or one closed eye and the mythology says Odin gave one of his eyes to gain wisdom,  delivered through a water well. But is it wise to get wisdom in exchange for one eye? Wouldn’t be the lack of stereoscopic vision a dramatic disadvantage in battles, especially if you are the god of war? What use has all the wisdom if you can not evaluate the exact position of an incoming sword to ward it off? I think this wisdom would be rather quick a dead wisdom. Well, the wisdom can be used to avoid fights, but this might damage the reputation of a war god somehow too.

So Norse gods had their own problems as well. But Odins approach had also some advantages, e.g. this way he avoided the decision between two competing technologies like shutter and polarization. So everything usually has two sides (try to stop your brain from visualizing a coin;).

Everything you do or don’t has advantages and disadvantages. Everything has a price you have to pay. If you buy some fancy gadget the major part of the price is quite obvious. But most of the prices are hidden or unconscious, like some regret when you are realizing later on you did not really need that gadget. Or if you lie to or cheat somebody, then in most cases your conscience pays the price. In case of lacking of such one the price might be anger, disappointment up to physical violence from the cheated person.

A price as such is not a bad thing, as long as you are aware of it and as long you are ready to accept and pay it. Only in this case the decision will be a good one. Odins price has been his eye and he was ready to give it for the wisdom. Are you ready to pay the price of your actions?