6. The price of inaction is far greater than the cost of making a mistake.
Saturday, October 6, 2018
11:33 AM
Saturday, October 6, 2018
11:33 AM
“The price of inaction is far greater than the cost of making a mistake.” Meister Eckhart
Over the course of my life I have come to believe and often say, from a vantage point of some cynicism, is that the most consequential decisions we make are ones we make by not deciding. I can recall many times when I pondered a course of action but then ultimately did nothing and the thus let the course of my life continue with alteration. Such ponderings left unresolved have had both positive and negative repercussions. For example, the decision to leave the business world and move toward academia that I left unmade causes me to wince sometimes, usually when my ego wants to punch myself in the nose for paths not traveled.
Looking back from the perspective of age, I see that my inaction was usually the result of poorly completed discernment. To get to the point, I engaged in some pretty surprising practical atheism by doing all of the pondering based upon my own thoughts and desires without involving God. How could what I try to do alone work out? I think my successes have been accidental - I simply lucked into making a plan that was consistent with what God wanted for me. I ended up a great wife and family. I have a good quality of life. I have material resources far greater than what my needs should ever require. Luck, of course, is nothing more than mercy delivered by grace. There is also the perspective God caused me to provide for my family because of the faith of my wife and her love of our sons. She was blessed by what I could provide in a material fashion. As for the spiritual and emotional support they also needed? Well, that is a different matter.
That is the past but Meister instructs us to consider the present, the now of life. What inaction no will be more costly than a mistake? I think back to an earlier day. What would I do if I was most secure? My musing that day would be to somehow define myself to the world. A grand posting on Facebook is what I was considering but did not take happen. Was it the example of not taking an action or was it a good decision that really was an appropriate action to not venture forth? I don't yet have an answer to the question but what if I what believe and celebrate is not already self evident by how I live, what value is there is in a making a declaration? Who we are is far more powerful than what we say.
I again find it curious such an ancient premise is so relevant today. Of course, we tend to think of it from a business or military perspective. Doing something even if it is wrong is better regarded than doing nothing. From a spiritual and religious perspective, the application is far less discernible. It seems that when charting a course of action, doing something will always have value whereas doing nothing always has a cost so the mistake is choosing to do nothing.
Again, I will have to consider today's topic further.
Over the course of my life I have come to believe and often say, from a vantage point of some cynicism, is that the most consequential decisions we make are ones we make by not deciding. I can recall many times when I pondered a course of action but then ultimately did nothing and the thus let the course of my life continue with alteration. Such ponderings left unresolved have had both positive and negative repercussions. For example, the decision to leave the business world and move toward academia that I left unmade causes me to wince sometimes, usually when my ego wants to punch myself in the nose for paths not traveled.
Looking back from the perspective of age, I see that my inaction was usually the result of poorly completed discernment. To get to the point, I engaged in some pretty surprising practical atheism by doing all of the pondering based upon my own thoughts and desires without involving God. How could what I try to do alone work out? I think my successes have been accidental - I simply lucked into making a plan that was consistent with what God wanted for me. I ended up a great wife and family. I have a good quality of life. I have material resources far greater than what my needs should ever require. Luck, of course, is nothing more than mercy delivered by grace. There is also the perspective God caused me to provide for my family because of the faith of my wife and her love of our sons. She was blessed by what I could provide in a material fashion. As for the spiritual and emotional support they also needed? Well, that is a different matter.
That is the past but Meister instructs us to consider the present, the now of life. What inaction no will be more costly than a mistake? I think back to an earlier day. What would I do if I was most secure? My musing that day would be to somehow define myself to the world. A grand posting on Facebook is what I was considering but did not take happen. Was it the example of not taking an action or was it a good decision that really was an appropriate action to not venture forth? I don't yet have an answer to the question but what if I what believe and celebrate is not already self evident by how I live, what value is there is in a making a declaration? Who we are is far more powerful than what we say.
I again find it curious such an ancient premise is so relevant today. Of course, we tend to think of it from a business or military perspective. Doing something even if it is wrong is better regarded than doing nothing. From a spiritual and religious perspective, the application is far less discernible. It seems that when charting a course of action, doing something will always have value whereas doing nothing always has a cost so the mistake is choosing to do nothing.
Again, I will have to consider today's topic further.
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