Ask someone who knows; two lots of knowledge are better than one.

Consultation is the first requirement for reaching the right decision. Decisions reached without due reflection or proper consultation usually come to nothing. Individuals who depend only on themselves are disconnected from others and unconcerned with their opinions even if they happen to be geniuses are at considerable risk of error as compared to those who offer and receive opinions.

Consultation is the first condition for obtaining good results. Paying attention to the opinions of friends and well-wishers is an important means of avoiding mistakes.

Tasks undertaken without due preparation and consideration of possible consequences and ramifications apart from making little progress discredit upon who undertook them. Whoever begins something on a whim and then follows his or her own ideas about how the task should proceed will end up going down many roundabout or misleading roads.

Wise people know whom to consult and how to get the most benefit from their opinions. It is a pleasure to work with such people. Others however are so insensitive thoughtless and complacent about their own knowledge or competence that they intimidate others into accepting their opinions. Such people are always unbearable to those who must work with them.

Before initiating a task consult with the other people involved so that everyone's responsibilities are clear. Then if something goes wrong in the future only the person directly responsible will be blamed. Unless possible consequences of proposed actions are properly discussed in advance with experienced people regret and remorse will be the outcome.