You might wonder why so much money and attention goes toward fighting terrorism while global warming, which affects all living things on the planet, is trivialized. The reason is very much tied to human nature. You’re far more likely to react to something that’s right in front of you here and now. This short-sightedness goes back a long way, to when survival was based on immediate concerns, such as finding food and water and avoiding violent predators like the saber-toothed tiger. To perform at your best, you need to recognize the tendency to neglect the big picture in favor of immediate concerns. However, it’s far better to adopt a farsighted perspective.

First, remember to take a step back when making decisions and calmly consider the problem at hand, what your options are and what the consequences are likely to be. When you also recognize that today’s problems are likely the consequence of actions taken in the past, you’ll be better able to assess them.

You should also know that sometimes doing nothing is the best thing to do! Western culture often considers doing nothing a sign of weakness, but Japanese and Chinese cultures both recognize the strategic wisdom in waiting to see what happens and letting the enemy wear himself out.

Another strategy is to know how to deal with people’s natural defensiveness. Everyone is defensive to some degree, because everyone privileges autonomy and free will. That’s why one of the best techniques for managing human nature is to make someone agree with our plan as though it was their idea. This is done by showing our appreciation of the other person, validating their individuality and intelligence and playing to their natural stubbornness.

Take the early career trajectory of the US politician and eventual president, Lyndon B. Johnson. When he first became a senator, he already had a reputation of being a hotheaded Texan, but Johnson knew he wasn’t going to get far using the same rabble-rousing tactics he employed as a congressman.

Instead, he became fast friends with veteran democrat Georgian senator Richard Russell, outwardly admiring his experience and expertise. Russel, in turn, was impressed with Johnson’s organizational skills and helped Johnson get a seat on the Armed Services Committee after just a year and a half in the Senate, which is practically unheard of for such a prestigious committee. Johnson’s shrewd but friendly tactics led him to become the youngest ever senate leader of the Democratic Party at the age of 44.