There is "knowing" and there is "doing." Why is it that we so often don't do what we know we should?

Question

Can the twain be made to consistently and effectively meet in action in our lives? And if not, why not? Share your thoughts please.................

Why did the geese waddle home?
http://www.foundationsmag.com/geese.html

William James (1842 – 1910), the great American psychologist and philosopher, one of the founders of Pragmatism said something to the effect that "....mere good intentions pave the proverbial path to hell."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James

millonari...: Interestingly, and apropos your remarks, the quote of James which I paraphrase above occurs in his "The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature ."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Varieties_of_Religious_Experience

misschatea: Would you care to share with us just what you mean in concrete specific pragmatic terms by "attitude" in this context and also what you know about why the geese waddled home?

Answer 1

Sometimes it seems too difficult. And there are times when the payoff or reinforcement for what we "need" to do are so insignificant, that we fail to do them.
I think if you set up goals, with a reinforcement attached in order to complete that which needs to be done, more can get accomplished.
It's better to make yourself feel good about accomplishing even the smallest thing than to obsess over not doing it.

Answer 2

Logically speaking, you may know what is the right thing to do. The problem is, it doesn't involve the heart. People are far more likely to follow their heart, and their emotions, even when their head is telling them something else.
After reading the "goose" thing, I will elaborate on my original point by saying that if it was in your heart to do it, it would be done.
In other words, I know that I should and easily could volunteer and help others and make a huge impact on their lives and even my own. So why am I not doing it?
Because it is not in my heart.
It is selfish, but it is very true.
Good question.

Answer 3

The missing link between knowing and doing should place the problems resulting from such a gap (mostly health related) in the realm of religion. There's a matter of faith and trust that the knowing should or will translate into a corresponding doing, or that the doing should feed further knowing or reverse the trend and review/question/critize previous knowledge.

Answer 4

In order to effectively and permanently make changes in our life we need to get at the attitudes behind the required actions. Possessing the attitude will give us ownership of the related action. Our actions flow from our attitudes. We must keep in mind that everything we do is a reflection of our attitudes. We need to be mindful of these attitudes and relate them to every thought and action no matter how seemingly insignificant it might be.

Answer 5

you always know which path to go down depending on your childhood. we as people tend to make our own roads because after a certain agae we believe we are grown and there is no one that can tell us what to do.... That's when nine times out of ten we begin to make all our mistakes. Our actions are reactions of something that has happened to us in our lives.... When people begin to have commitment issues and when you begin to look deep you will see that is probably stimulated from a parents divorce or breakup....

Answer 6

In a sentence: Because we are human beings - the quintessential anomalous being that lingers in the denial of its mortality and inherent enigmatic path.

Answer 7

Most people go with their own thoughts and will instead of follow that "knowing" that is very intelligent. That knowing is from God, He knows what's best. I learned a while ago to follow that intelligent, all-knowing voice because if I deviate, I am so busted.

Answer 8

People are a reflection of their childhood, and they usually repeat the patterns demonstrated by their parents. If one's parents were not skilled at life, then the offspring are equally ineffective at life.

Answer 9

because, we never positively, without a doubt, know what we should do. so most doing get done by pure chance and by chance it turn out to the good or to the bad.

Answer 10

bcos we are mere humans.