Do good thoughts differ from good actions?
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are good thoughts good actions
- Thread starter Brickjectivity
- Start date
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
The latter actually has an impact upon the world.
McBell
mantra-chanting henotheistic snake handler
Have you never done some without thinking about it?
A "reflexive" reaction to a specific stimuli?
McBell
mantra-chanting henotheistic snake handler
Mycroft
Ministry of Serendipity
Even reflexive action requires thought, even if just on the subconscious level.
McBell
mantra-chanting henotheistic snake handler
If it is subconscious, is it thought?
I don't understand the question. There is obviously a difference between thoughts and actions.
arthra
Baha'i
From one of the most ancient religions... Zoroastrianism (Mazda Yasnian).. we find the following principle:
"Purity is for man, next to life, the greatest good, that purity, Oh Zarathustra, that is in the religion of Mazda, for him who cleanses
his own self with good thoughts, words, and deeds..."
(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta - Vendidad)
"Purity is for man, next to life, the greatest good, that purity, Oh Zarathustra, that is in the religion of Mazda, for him who cleanses
his own self with good thoughts, words, and deeds..."
(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta - Vendidad)
outhouse
Atheistically
Perhaps it is an unanswerable question. How can we answer it if we don't understand the question?
outhouse
Atheistically
Factually it is an action.
The action of clearing ones mind and not focusing on reality.
It factually require a lot of thought.
Thoughts are at least arguably actions as well.
Still, in most contexts it would be understood that actions have more weight and significance than unrealized thoughts.
If there is no difference between good thoughts and good actions, then thousands of woman during the course of my life time have been driven to orgasm by my thoughts of pleasuring them -- unless, of course, all sexual thoughts are necessarily bad thoughts (which I don't for a second believe).
Mycroft
Ministry of Serendipity
It should be pointed out, however, that good actions don't always generate good outcomes. It is, in fact, critical to remember this so that you can manage your expectations accordingly. If you go around with the idea that Good thought = good action = good outcomes you're on the fast track to ending up a depressive.
For example. A long time a go I had a girlfriend who Borderline Personality Disorder. I didn't really understand what this was, and she - on several occasions - expressed her concern over it. Said that if I wanted to understand her, then I needed to understand her condition. Said that, perhaps, I should research it.
Fair enough.
So I set about an intensive bout of research into Borderline Personality Disorder. The thought was that by doing so, I could understand her better and my actions would be good (to put it into the context of this thread). I watched videos, read papers, kept snippets of relevant information from said papers and blogs that I thought were helpful to keep in mind based on my own experiences.
When I told her about all of this (bear in mind it was her suggestion from the start), she went up the wall. Claimed that I had violated her trust, and that it was creepy to keep notes, and that there was no way she could ever trust me again. She was, of course, wrong on all counts.
Now this reaction was because of her condition. And, for her, those feelings were very real. She was not in control, per se, of her own feelings. Nevertheless, I struggled to understand what I did wrong. My intentions had only been good ones, and I had only wanted to do good for her. But she was past caring. She ended the relationship there and then and never once spoke to me again. I never saw her again.
Moral of the story is that good thoughts may lead to good actions, but the result may not reflect this. People - time and again - struggle with this because naturally they think if they do good, then there should be good outcomes.
But what we think should or shouldn't happen is merely an illusion. In reality, what happens happens. The world is not obliged to reflect our expectations and frequently wont.
For example. A long time a go I had a girlfriend who Borderline Personality Disorder. I didn't really understand what this was, and she - on several occasions - expressed her concern over it. Said that if I wanted to understand her, then I needed to understand her condition. Said that, perhaps, I should research it.
Fair enough.
So I set about an intensive bout of research into Borderline Personality Disorder. The thought was that by doing so, I could understand her better and my actions would be good (to put it into the context of this thread). I watched videos, read papers, kept snippets of relevant information from said papers and blogs that I thought were helpful to keep in mind based on my own experiences.
When I told her about all of this (bear in mind it was her suggestion from the start), she went up the wall. Claimed that I had violated her trust, and that it was creepy to keep notes, and that there was no way she could ever trust me again. She was, of course, wrong on all counts.
Now this reaction was because of her condition. And, for her, those feelings were very real. She was not in control, per se, of her own feelings. Nevertheless, I struggled to understand what I did wrong. My intentions had only been good ones, and I had only wanted to do good for her. But she was past caring. She ended the relationship there and then and never once spoke to me again. I never saw her again.
Moral of the story is that good thoughts may lead to good actions, but the result may not reflect this. People - time and again - struggle with this because naturally they think if they do good, then there should be good outcomes.
But what we think should or shouldn't happen is merely an illusion. In reality, what happens happens. The world is not obliged to reflect our expectations and frequently wont.
DawudTalut
Peace be upon you.
Good thought:
a- can remain only a thought.
b- or it will become materialize.
.....Thus good thought is different than good actions.
Orbit
I'm a planet
Thoughts don't accomplish anything without actions.