Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Kenko: on doubt

No 98

When in doubt whether or not to do something, generally it is best not to do it.


-- Kenko --
Essays in Idleness


Kenko is most assuredly a cautious fellow.

Generally, if I have doubts about doing something, I will wait.  After some time has passed, I frequently decide that I don't need to do it.  However, sometimes I will close my eyes and jump right in.  

12 comments:

  1. musing on the impermanence of impermanence, i often discover that decisions make themselves...

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    1. rather a diffuse pov, but events do tend to coalesce and sometimes have a mind of their own...

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    2. Mudpuddle, yes, sometimes waiting allows the problem to sort itself out and go away or perhaps clear up some of the confusion.

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  2. There are plenty of aphoristic sages who argue otherwise: e.g., he who hesitates is lost. I've long been a bit too impulsive, and that has been a problem in my life. Oh, the stories I could tell! Yikes! I should have followed Kenko's advice. Thanks, Fred, for giving me such a pithy point to ponder.

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    1. R.T., sometimes I wish I had also. But, I suspect there were times that I wish I hadn't. Those I will never know about as I didn't take that road (Frost again).

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  3. We had a phrase from 'Up North'... "When in doubt, do nowt"

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  4. I think that it depends on the person. Some people are generally over cautious. For them, this might not be good advice. Others are reckless, for them, it might pay to heed this.

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    1. Brian, I had a friend whose philosophy was that even doing the wrong thing was better than doing nothing.

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  5. CyberKitten, rhyme helps the memory, no doubt.

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  6. I kind of agree with No. 98. Especially in today's world. But if I were in my twenties, I'd probably disagree.

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    1. Yvette, yes, today's world is quite different, definitely not the one I grew up in. On the other hand, I've changed too, probably, as you suggest, more cautious now than way back when.

      I wonder if it's just slowing down or that I know more than I did years ago, or perhaps I just think I know more now.

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