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March 16, 2005

A Very Important Question

When does inaction become intention?

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I propose that the choice to NOT fix something that you KNOW is broken eventually becomes your INTENTION to keep something from working.

Discuss.

Posted by bonnie at March 16, 2005 10:52 PM

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Comments

sort of like a drifting away?

Oh and about this week's article...the cookies were from Trader Joe's, not Costco. Dammit, I knew I should've ripped those labels off the Chuck.

Posted by: Aimercat [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 17, 2005 02:07 AM

Hi Bonnie,

I think apathy becomes inaction when you accept that you will never resolve something your own high standards. Once you mix that with a drop of pride and you've got yourself an intention.

You can either do two things:

1. Drop your standards
2. Refuse to do it and let it stay broken.

Most of us keep our standards high and our pride intact by building our excuses around it.

Here's how I operate:

Stage 1: Apathy
I should learn to play trombone

Stage 2: Acceptance
If I learned now, I'd never be as good as Slide Hampton

Stage 3: Decision
I'm not prepared to go ahead with this and be a below average trombone player

Stage 4: Pride and defiance
There is no way in hell you'll ever get me on the business end of a trombone.

Ditto fixing leaky pipes, making tiramisu, calling your estranged relatives, visiting a dangerous but alluring country.

Posted by: Cliff [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 17, 2005 06:52 AM

What is the motivating factor behind the choice to remain inactive about something? Fear? Pride? Intuition? - Maybe it's the motivation behind the choice that makes a big difference between it just being inaction or it transcending into intention.

More importantly, does fixing things always benefit us? Is leaving it broken sometimes actually better than trying to fix it? Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't...

Finally, when we have a sense of what DESERVES our energy, inaction may become intention more often in life, but is that necessarily a bad thing? I dunno...just throwing some other thoughts out there. :o)

Posted by: Jeannini-Nini [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 21, 2005 01:56 PM