#27: Priority

Connor MacLeod and Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez were both born immortal. But they also knew there could only be one.

Highlander dates back to 1986. I was 13 years old at the time. To this day, it is one of my all time favorite movies.

Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery were the good guys, whereas Clancy Brown played the role of The Kurgan. He was the evil guy or, as I am sure nobody would argue against, the not so good looking one. They were all aware of their final day coming closer, even though being technically immortal and invincible. Since they had lived for centuries, none of them was really complaining. And they were all pretty self-confident anyway.

The three of them thus headed to New York City for the Gathering to fight for the Prize, which would be awarded to the last immortal standing.

It is such a great movie! I love the story, the actors and especially the soundtrack! Who doesn’t?

But what is it that makes me remember the movie today? And why for the same reason on so many other occasions?

There is actually one particular word that takes me back to 1986 every time I hear it.

I always think of the movie’s motto «there can only be one» when other people talk about their long list of priorities.

Why could there possibly be more than one priority?

In his book Essentialism, Greg McKeown explains beautifully why priority is a singular concept:

“The word priority came into the English language in the 1400s. It was singular. It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed singular for the next five hundred years. Only in the 1900s did we pluralize the term and start talking about priorities. Illogically, we reasoned that by changing the word we could bend reality.”

So whenever someone comes up to you and asks you for your top priorities, ask them what they think of the movie Highlander.

There can only be one.

They wouldn’t want to argue the case with The Kurgan, would they?