According to Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan you can't change what you do by thinking differently, but you can change how you think, by doing things differently.
Discuss.
3 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Could not agree more. Thought is action, action thought. There is a great story about two legendary sword saints who meet for battle. They take stances and look at each other for long moments. They then turn back and leave. Not because they do not want to fight but because they have already fought.
Well the point wasn't that thought is action and vice versa. The point was that action can influence thought, but not the other way around. So they are asymmetrically related.
But talking of swords, I'm reminded of a nice story:
evil general visits Zen buddhist monastery but the head monk does not show him due respect. General shouts "Do you know who I am ? I could cut off your head and not give a damn about it!" Monk replies : "Do you know who I am ? You could cut off my head and I would not give a damn about it"
nice story! re. action/thought - it may be useful to think of one preceding the other. for example, the idea that action directs thought seems to be the basis for cognitive behavioral therapy. or more traditionally we are taught to think no evil as the first line of defense against doing evil.
however, to think of action and thought as the same pushes the issue a bit further. for example, when the swordsman strikes well (or for that matter when a monk sweeps the floor well) his thought and his action are one. also for example, in meditation, abandonment of action is only half the job, abandonment of thought must go with it.
to think of both as the same is so simple and the challenges this provides for living are so direct.
3 comments:
Could not agree more. Thought is action, action thought. There is a great story about two legendary sword saints who meet for battle. They take stances and look at each other for long moments. They then turn back and leave. Not because they do not want to fight but because they have already fought.
Well the point wasn't that thought is action and vice versa. The point was that action can influence thought, but not the other way around. So they are asymmetrically related.
But talking of swords, I'm reminded of a nice story:
evil general visits Zen buddhist monastery but the head monk does not show him due respect. General shouts "Do you know who I am ? I could cut off your head and not give a damn about it!"
Monk replies : "Do you know who I am ? You could cut off my head and I would not give a damn about it"
Vijay
nice story!
re. action/thought - it may be useful to think of one preceding the other. for example, the idea that action directs thought seems to be the basis for cognitive behavioral therapy. or more traditionally we are taught to think no evil as the first line of defense against doing evil.
however, to think of action and thought as the same pushes the issue a bit further. for example, when the swordsman strikes well (or for that matter when a monk sweeps the floor well) his thought and his action are one. also for example, in meditation, abandonment of action is only half the job, abandonment of thought must go with it.
to think of both as the same is so simple and the challenges this provides for living are so direct.
Post a Comment