Firefighters check the door with the back of a hand before opening it. Feel things out before you charge through.

A quick low-cost test before an irreversible move is standard practice wherever the stakes are real. Checking the door tells you what is behind it without committing you to it, and the back of the hand is used because it risks the least. The principle travels well: there is almost always a cheap way to gather information before the expensive step. Charging in is faster and far more likely to be unrecoverable.

Find the small test for the next big thing you are about to do. One conversation before the confrontation, one question before the accusation. It costs an hour and occasionally saves the lot.