“We should often
be ashamed of our finest actions if the world understood all the motives behind
them.”
François, Duc de
La Rochefoucauld
(French
epigrammatist and moralist)
Yesterday, I
had a lengthy discussion with someone in which I explained to him why, for me,
it is more important WHY people do
what they do, rather than WHAT they
do. People tend to focus more on what others do, than on why
they have done it, and I think that by doing this, your focus is misplaced. In this
regard, one’s motives becomes noteworthy, whether it be constructive or
destructive. Marcus Aurelius,
the Roman emperor and philosopher, wrote in his meditations that our constant method should be to look into the design
of people’s actions and that we ought to do this as often as it is practicable.
He said that if we want to make this habit more noteworthy, then we need to practice
it first upon ourselves. Even the renowned poet, W. B. Yeats, wrote something
in this regard which adds to what Aurelius has said:
The Light of Lights
Looks always on the motive, not the deed,
The Shadow of Shadows on the deed alone.
Why do we
need to look at the motives of people’s acts? Mark Twain gives the answer in
saying that from the cradle to the grave, humans never do a single thing which
has any FIRST AND FOREMOST object but one – to secure peace of mind and
spiritual comfort for themselves. Lord Byron says that we are all selfish and
that he no more trust himself than any other person with a good motive. I think
he is a little bit too harsh, so we should ask ourselves, in the light of the
above, whether we want to become people who should rather read between the
lines than reading the text itself. I just think that people are too quick to
condemn or judge others on their acts, without knowing why they have done what
they have done. You may agree or disagree with me, I leave that for you decide,
just try and think and ask before you judge the acts of other people,
especially those acts and beliefs that do not fall within the comfort zone of
your own philosophy, religion and world views.
Deeds are done
daily, but with what intention?
This is the point
I needed to mention.
If a good deed is done
to you with an ill will…
will you
appreciate such a deed still?
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