Monday Morning Musings
Volume XXIV, Number 39 (Issue 1200) September 28, 2026
Actions Have Repercussion
They can be good. They can be bad. Usually there is a range of possible outcomes including a mix of both good and bad. Seldom are those outcomes neutral in nature. Whether the outcome and repercussions are good or bad, there is at least one element of good news to be found in the simple fact that where there is action, there is some measure of control. Conversely, while it might seem like inaction affords greater control, the reality is inaction cedes control to others. That is because nothing is static. Everything, and I mean everything in our environment is changing – most of it at breakneck speed. Look no further than the news surrounding AI to know that is true. Contemplate the range of outcomes and risks if nothing is done to establish some independent controls for and governance of AI.
There is, of course, the added wrinkle: whether an outcome is good or bad can very much depend upon your (or another’s) intention, thinking (values), and perspective. There is a line from Shakespear’s Hamlet that speaks to this quite well, “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” A slightly more contemporary comment on the choice between action and inaction comes from Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) who stated, “In any given moment, we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.”
There is much to consider here. For starters, Maslow and I have framed this as a binary choice between action (growth) and inaction (the presumption of safety). Both options should result in a learning experience. The presumably safe choice of doing nothing will, in due time, produce ever increasing friction thanks to that continuously changing environment I spoke of. Of equal consequence, doing nothing ensures opportunities will be missed while other, bolder, more daring individuals and organizations pass us by. Granted, those taking action may be careening toward a cliff. But if we do nothing, we may be pushed off one. As the old fairground barker might say, “You pays your money, you takes your chances.”
If nothing else, there is one benefit to taking action, even when it leads to failure, since there are lessons to be learned if we pay attention. Put another way, in failure we discover something about the efficacy of our choice(s). Make enough faulty choices, provided they are neither illegal nor harmful to oneself or others, and eventually we can arrive at a path that leads to success. It may not be the success we first envisioned, but success, nonetheless. It is discovery through trial and error.
Circling back to my opening, one should ask what about intention, thinking and perspective? Deliberate action presumes intention as well as an agenda. Thinking and the interplay of one’s value system involves reasoning. Perspective denotes relative position and one’s point of view as it differs from the perspective(s) of others – be they casual observers or directly or indirectly impacted by our choices and actions. When carefully considered and combined, these three elements can lead to better decisions and better outcomes. At least that is how I think of it.
Soli Deo Gloria
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
J. Keith Hughey
Mobile: (210) 260-0955
E-mail: keith@jkeithhughey.com
Website: www.jkeithhughey.com
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