Do you ever get so wound up about something you begin to fantasize about how angrily, powerfully, and venomously you’ll respond against an adversary?

Everyone does. It’s only human.

The most upsetting tempest in a teapot occurred the other day. But, before the keys could be punched and a loaded e-mail launched into the void like from a catapult, a pause. A story and a lesson popped into the foreground:

A story:

Mark Andreessen vs. Ben Horowitz – Netscape Product Strategy

• Horowitz: “I guess we’re not going to wait until the 5th to launch the strategy”
• Andreessen: “Apparently you do not understand how serious the situation is. We are getting killed killed killed out there. Our current product is radically worse than the competition. We’ve had nothing to say for months. As a result, we’ve lost over $3 billion in market capitalization. We are now in danger of losing the entire company and it’s all server product management’s fault. Next time do the fucking interview yourself. Fuck you, Marc.”

A lesson:

“Forty years ago, My good friend Tom Murphy gave me one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received. He said, ‘Warren, you can always tell someone to go to hell tomorrow.’ It’s such an easy way of putting it. You haven’t missed the opportunity. Just forget about it for a day. If you feel the same way tomorrow, tell them then—but don’t spout off in a moment of anger.” -Warren Buffett

Sometimes the best response is a nuclear response. Sometimes you should wait to tell them to go to hell. Perhaps best to consider both before deploying the torpedoes.