Robert Louis Stevenson once remarked that sooner or later, everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences. It’s a heavy thought. Honestly, it’s one of those quotes that feels more like a warning than a piece of literature. You spend years making small, seemingly invisible choices, and then one day, the bill arrives.
Everything is a trade-off. We like to think we can cheat the system, whether that's in our health, our bank accounts, or our relationships. But the universe has a funny way of keeping receipts. You don’t just "get away" with things; you just defer the payment.
Eventually, the table is set. The food is served. And you have to eat what you cooked.
The Mechanics of the Long Game
Most people live in the short term. It’s natural. Our brains are literally wired for immediate gratification because, back in the day, finding a berry bush meant you needed to eat those berries right now before a bear showed up.
In 2026, the "bear" is usually just the crushing reality of compounding interest or a chronic health condition.
When Stevenson talked about this banquet, he wasn't just being poetic. He was describing the law of causality. Take the concept of "lifestyle creep" in personal finance. You get a raise, so you buy a nicer car. You get another raise, so you move into a bigger house. You feel successful. But you’re actually just increasing your "burn rate." Ten years later, you’re stressed, trapped in a job you hate because your overhead is too high.
That stress? That’s a course at the banquet.
It’s not just about the "bad" stuff, though. This works both ways. If you spend twenty years being kind to people when you don't have to be, you're building a reservoir of goodwill. When your life hits a snag—and it will—those people show up for you. That’s a consequence too. It’s just a much tastier one.
Why We Ignore the Bill
We ignore it because the lag time is huge. If you smoked one cigarette and immediately developed a hacking cough and gray skin, nobody would smoke. But the damage takes decades.
The delay creates a false sense of security.
Economists call this "time inconsistency." We value the "now" version of ourselves way more than the "ten years from now" version. We treat our future selves like strangers. "That guy can deal with the debt," we think while swiping the credit card. It’s a cognitive glitch. We are essentially stealing from our future to pay for our present.
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Real World Examples: The Corporate Banquet
Look at Boeing. For years, the company was the gold standard of engineering. Then, a shift occurred. The focus moved from engineering excellence to stock price and "shareholder value."
Decisions were made.
They moved headquarters away from the engineers. They squeezed suppliers. They rushed the 737 MAX. For a while, the stock went up. Executives got bonuses. It looked like they were winning. But the a banquet of consequences was being prepared in the background. The crashes, the groundings, the massive loss of public trust, and the billions in lost revenue—that was the meal.
They had to sit down and eat it.
The same thing happens in tech. We’ve seen social media companies prioritize "engagement" at all costs. They used algorithms to trigger outrage because outrage keeps people clicking. The consequence? A fractured society, mental health crises among teens, and a regulatory environment that is now tightening its grip around their necks.
They built the machine. Now they have to live in the world the machine created.
The Personal Level: Health and Habits
Health is the most visceral example of this. You can’t negotiate with biology.
Dr. Peter Attia, author of Outlive, talks a lot about "Medicine 3.0." His whole premise is that we shouldn't wait for the banquet to start before we care about the menu. Most people wait until they have a heart attack to change their diet. By then, the consequence has already arrived.
If you don't make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness.
It sounds harsh. It is harsh. But it's also incredibly empowering if you flip the script. If you know the banquet is coming, you can start changing the ingredients right now.
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Misconceptions About Luck
People love to blame "bad luck" when things go south. Sometimes, yeah, life throws a brick at your head for no reason.
But usually?
What we call luck is just the final 5% of a process that was 95% in the making. If a "lucky" break happens to someone who has worked for ten years to be ready for it, is it luck? If someone’s business fails because they ignored market signals for five years, is it bad luck?
- Luck is a lightning strike.
- Consequences are a slow-rising tide.
You can't control the lightning, but you can definitely see the tide coming. Most of us just choose to stand on the beach and hope our feet don't get wet.
Breaking the Cycle
How do you avoid a miserable banquet? You start by acknowledging the "Hidden Costs."
Every time you say "yes" to something, you are saying "no" to something else. Saying yes to staying late at the office every night is saying no to seeing your kids grow up. The consequence isn't just the promotion; it's the fact that your kids don't really know you when they're eighteen.
You have to be okay with the trade-off.
The smartest people I know are obsessed with the "second-order effects" of their actions. First-order: I eat this donut, it tastes good. Second-order: I have a sugar crash. Third-order: I develop insulin resistance over time. If you only look at the first order, you’re doomed.
Moving Toward a Better Menu
You are currently living out the consequences of decisions you made five years ago. Look around. Do you like your apartment? Your job? Your fitness level? Your friendships?
Those are the results of 2021-you.
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If you don't like what's on your plate, you need to change your "orders" today. The banquet doesn't stop. It's a rolling buffet.
Start with a "Consequence Audit." Sit down and look at three areas of your life: health, wealth, and relationships. Ask yourself: "If I keep doing exactly what I'm doing for the next five years, where do I end up?"
Be brutally honest.
If the answer scares you, change the input. It won't feel like much today. Going for a walk instead of scrolling TikTok feels insignificant. Saving $100 instead of buying a new pair of shoes feels pointless. But these are the seeds.
Radical Responsibility.
Stop blaming the economy, your boss, your ex, or the government. Even if they are partially at fault, blaming them gives away your power. When you accept that you are the primary chef at your own banquet, you regain control.
Prioritize the "Boring" Stuff.
The best consequences come from the most boring habits. Consistent sleep. Moderate exercise. Compound interest. Telling the truth even when it's awkward. These things don't make for great movies, but they make for an incredible life.
Prepare for the "Bill."
When things go wrong, don't act surprised. Accept it. "Ah, here is the result of that shortcut I took three years ago. It's time to pay up." Paying your debts—metaphorically or literally—with grace is the only way to move on to the next course.
The banquet of consequences is unavoidable. You can't leave the restaurant. You can't send the food back. But you absolutely have a say in what gets served next. Start cooking something better.