The man of thought who will not act is ineffective; the man of action who will not think is dangerous.
Interpretation
Thinking without action is futile, while acting without thought can be harmful.
This quote emphasizes the importance of balancing thought and action in our endeavors. A thoughtful person who neglects to take action may fail to make an impact, while a person who acts impulsively without considering the consequences can pose a threat to themselves and others. Both qualities are necessary, but finding equilibrium is crucial for effective and responsible behavior.
In practice
In a leadership seminar discussing effective decision-making.
The destiny of our land, the air we breathe, the water we drink is not in the mystical hands of an uncontrollable agent, it is in our hands. A future which brings the balancing of our resources-preserving quality with quantity - is a future limited only by the boundaries of our will to get the job done.
The recent upsurge of public concern over environmental questions reflects a belated recognition that man has been too cavalier in his relations with nature. Unless we arrest the depredations that have been inflicted so carelessly on our natural systems-which exist in an intricate set of balances-we face the prospect of ecological disaster.
The ability to be cool, confident, and decisive in crisis is not an inherited characteristic but is the direct result of how well the individual has prepared himself for the battle.
If you take no risks, you will suffer no defeats. But if you take no risks, you win no victories.
If the President does it, it can't be illegal.
We cannot learn from one another until we stop shouting at one another - until we speak quietly enough so that our words can be heard as well as our voices.
We want to believe. Young students try to believe in older authors, constituents try to believe in their Congressmen, countries try to believe in their statesmen, but they can't. Too many voices, too much scattered, illogical ill-considered criticism.
Negative results are just what I want. They’re just as valuable to me as positive results. I can never find the thing that does the job best until I find the ones that don’t.
Anger does a man more hurt than that which made him angry.
Everything that you do under compulsion goes to build up attachment.
Discovering vocation does not mean scrambling toward some prize just beyond my reach but accepting the treasure of true self I already possess. Vocation does not come from a voice �out there� calling me to be something I am not. It comes from a voice �in here� calling me to be the person I was born to be, to fulfill the original selfhood given me at birth by God.
Our envy always lasts longer than the happiness of those we envy.
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