An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory. Friedrich Engels
The great philosophers of the world have their place under the sun, for they have tried to delve into the more complex aspects of life that ordinary mortals find hard to phantom let alone understand. Yet it is the ordinary mortal who lives, breathes and works so that the world is better place to live in. The world is also full of people like us, the ordinary folk who have to live by the sweat of their brow and by dint of sheer hard work. For the vast majority of ordinary people, philosophy is as just as useful as hay is to a dog; just about keeps the cold out but can’t do a damn if one is starving to death.
When vied against this backdrop, it stands to reason that there is a compulsive need for people to focus on action more than mere words. While words can put things in perspective it really can’t be a substituted for the need of the moment. The classic case is when confronted with emergencies like a fire or a road accident. We can have a multitude of onlookers all proffering well meaning advice but for the people at the receiving end of the disaster it is the person who braves the odds and valiantly acts who is the messiah. Or take the case of the exceptionally talented substitutes on the bench in a crunch match. The coach has to choose the right substitute who can deliver in the shortest possible time and while the spectators look aghast when some substitutions seem bizarre, when the person delivers there is huge sigh of relief and an occasional pat for the coach for his/ her astuteness and cunning.
Does this mean theory has no value? In fact the theory is at the vertex of the action. The only difference is that the theory is developed logically and with some empirical base and is tested only when put into practice. All long term planning is at the centre of any development. Theory is what makes the development easier, faster and realistic. The theory provides the blueprint for the future course of action. Sound theory ensures that the action when taken works perfectly to deliver what was visualized and what is needed. The theory allows one to juggle with assumptions, gives reign to creativity, considers varied scenarios and lives very little to chance. Yet a theory cannot take care of all contingencies for the unexpected can occur anytime. The journey of the Titanic is a Titanic proof of the theory being perfect but the execution going awry for the contingencies planned didn’t account for the scale of the actual event nor the inadeptness of the people in charge.
Remember: “Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.” Napoleon Bonaparte
Try these:
- Over the next month decide on learning a new skill. It could be learning to swim/ learning a new sport/ learning a few new card tricks etc. Pay close attention to the theories and particularly the rules of the game. Observe your own speed of learning and the kind of expertise you get and ask yourself how much of the theory helped and how much of new learning you got when you actually played the game/ got involved in the activity.
- When in a competitive environment particularly sports pay attention to the contrast between the winners and the losers. Look at their body language, their style of play, the changes they made during the course of the game etc. Do you think a stronger imbibing of the theory of the game could have enhanced their skill sets? In the case of the loser was it just their lack of skills / stamina or was it the inadequate knowledge of the game/ lack of experience that was the stumbling block?
This post is courtesy www.actspot.com
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