Yesterday I wrote about choices, and about being the person to stand up and be remarkable and make a fuss when things aren’t quite right. There was some chatter on the social channels afterwards about the post, and I want to riff a bit about one line in particular, coming from my examples of situations:

The restaurant wine buyer who can’t get rid of the weakest wine by the glass because of some agreement between the distributor and the restaurant owner. “But I have to keep it there because the boss said.”

The Weakest Wine.

What does that mean?

Is it the lowest quality wine? If so, who decides that? Opinions are as varied as faces and names.

Is it the lowest price wine? Price has nothing to do with value.

Is it the one that sells the least? There’s always one that sells the least, and it’s often too obscure or expensive for many but beloved by the important few.

Is it the one that is almost too popular for its own good? The wine you cringe about when you hear somebody at the bar say “Ahhhh! I LUHV that wine!!!” Guess what? If it brings people excitement and gives them a reason to look forward to drinking the wine, the wine has overachieved in its goal. (And remember that nobody drinks the same wine for their entire life.)

In the post and in the example of the situation the goal was to show common examples of what happens in the wine business that are quietly complained about. To be the one to question them puts you in a different light than others around you. The key is to complain correctly, not just kick over cans to see what the mess looks like.

How to disagree with somebody is an art and like any art you need to practice to get better.

But saying nothing and complaining about it later is the passive alternative and the default for many.

Challenge yourself to move forward, not stand still.