My uncle was a genius. At least if you can calibrate these things by the number of encyclopedia articles he authored. Once he told me that he was hired to write an entry for both Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book on the same topic, which was geometry, and they had to each be comprehensive yet without duplication. Is it even still plagiarism if you wrote it? 

Anyway one of the skills he taught me and other math students was the ability to count on one hand, using the binary system, which enables you to get to 31. It came in pretty handy, excuse the pun, and certainly solidified my understanding of base two. If I am tracking two things simultaneously, I can tally the first with my fingers and the other with my voice. 

Binary numbers are simple. Either my finger is up or it is down. In a computer the light is on or it is off. No splintering into multiple choices. 

There are moments when it feels like there are but two possible decisions. Keep this job or quit. Move or stay put. Call out a co worker on their behavior or keep your mouth shut. Yet there have been circumstances that stretched me in an unexpected direction. Perhaps instead of walking away, or enduring increasing pressure at work you can negotiate with your boss for better hours. Rather than selling your house or sinking farther into debt you could rent out a room. Instead of confronting someone on their failings you could voice your appreciation of things they are doing well. 

There is a marriage initiative called The Third Option. The buttons they wore at an event triggered lots of questions, and the answer I got stayed with me. 

"Some people suggest that there are only two options. Get divorced or stay in an unhappy marriage. We promote the idea that you can make your marriage better."

My uncle died a few years back. One could argue that death is as binary as it gets. Either you are alive or you aren't. And yet here he is still influencing my life.