Life is Action, Not Contemplation

This is a remark of Goeth, the great German poet and thinker that has almost past into a proverb. The expression has two parts. The first part lays stress on the need of action for success in the world. Life is not a bed of roses. On the contrary, it is full of dangers and difficulties, trials and temptation, and man has carry on a hard and constant fight against them. Any slackness in this fight will upset the whole thing and bring about ruin. So man must work and work, patiently and perseveringly. This duty of action is laid on man by the thinkers of all countries. The Hindu philosophy of Karmayoga-attainment of the goal of life through Karma and action, -the command of the Bible that man must earn his bread by the sweat of his brow, lay stress on the importance of action.

The word “contemplation” is generally used in the sense of “deep and serious thought”. But evidently that is not the meaning in which it is used here. For in that case the whole sentence would mean that deep and serious thought is harmful to man, and should, therefore, be avoided by all means. This contrary to fact and is against the teachings of great men. Thought precedes action, and it is the duty of every person to think deeply and seriously before he undertakes anything. And “deep and serious thoughts” is in itself a form of action. In fact, it is this “contemplation” that led to the discovery of all the great truths that guide mankind. The word is used here in the sense of vague thoughts, empty dream, so to say. The saying thus means that instead of wasting our time in empty dreams or endless thinking, we should being work with firm determination if we are to succeed in life. There are men who think too much and can’t make up their minds or find time for action. Such men, however gifted, can’t achieve their objects. Shakespeare’s Hamlet was a young prince of great intellectual power; still he couldn’t carry out his purpose of avenging the murder of his father because he was constantly thinking of the propriety of the step and of questions like “to be or not to be” unrelated to the purpose.

So, for success in life, we should first think wisely and then “act and act”, firmly and patiently. Once the object is fixed, we shouldn’t allow our aim to be swayed by any counterblast of suggestion or warming or by the difficulties that may come in the way. We must remember that too much thinking is another name of irresolution, and irresolution means inaction and stagnation.