Thought~Byte No.180

Comments: 58

John Philipp Nov 10, 2009, 11:52pm EST

Mini Thought~Bytes (words without drawings) appear every day on my Twitter page. If you're on Tweeter please follow me and I'll follow you.

reply to this comment

John Philipp Nov 10, 2009, 11:52pm EST

Thought~Bytes are posted every Wednesday. To see all Thought~Bytes and get an email when new ones are posted, please join Thought~Bytes

reply to this comment

John Philipp Nov 10, 2009, 11:52pm EST

We all know this but a little graphic reminder couldn't hurt.

reply to this comment

Steph-in-NE ..... Nov 10, 2009, 11:55pm EST

this is good thanks

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 12:12am EST

You're welcome, Steph.

reply to this comment

Linda T. Nov 11, 2009, 12:22am EST

By not choosing we lose control over our choices.

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 8:24am EST

One part of this, Linda. Thanks.

reply to this comment

Paul Allen Leoncini Nov 11, 2009, 1:30am EST

Not acting is acting? And a tree that falls doesn't a make a noise without a witness.

How about: Everything's a Choice, one way or another.

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 8:25am EST

Agreed, Paul. Everything's a choice.

Often we don't realize there was a choice.

reply to this comment

Val G. Nov 11, 2009, 3:01am EST

good point!

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 8:25am EST

Thanks, Val.

reply to this comment

Robert - just a simple man - B. Nov 11, 2009, 3:46am EST

Yeah, usually, as illustrated, not the best thought out choice.

Another illustration, if I COULD draw, would be the proverbial mama Bambi in the headlights.

Robert - just a simple man - B. Nov 11, 2009, 3:46am EST

John, Check out GENKI if you survive that wave.

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 8:26am EST

The Bambi analogy is a good example, Robert. Thanks.

Robert - just a simple man - B. Nov 11, 2009, 9:24am EST

Bambi's MOTHER John, I would never put Bambi in front of headlights. (unless I was like really, really hungry)

:+)

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 11:37am EST

My bad.

reply to this comment

JOHN BECK Nov 11, 2009, 4:15am EST

And usually a cop-out.

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 8:27am EST

ANother side to this, John. Responsibility is part of this equation, avoiding or accepting.

Thanks.

reply to this comment

Elizabeth R. Nov 11, 2009, 5:06am EST

Good point and you are right, John. Usually a cop-out!

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 8:28am EST

Thanks, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth R. Nov 11, 2009, 4:52pm EST

You are very welcome, John.

reply to this comment

Elizabeth A. Nov 11, 2009, 6:06am EST

Yes, true but occasionally we aren't given a choice.

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 8:28am EST

Some would say we always have a choice, Elizabeth.

Maybe not seeing the choice is part of the cop-out, John refers to above.

Elizabeth A. Nov 11, 2009, 8:56am EST

John, I just checked his comment and he wrote, "And usually a cop-out."

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 11:40am EST

I got that. I'm suggesting sometimes people think they have no choice when, subconsciously, they refuse to see the choice they have.

reply to this comment

LaRue B. Nov 11, 2009, 6:34am EST

Some people don't like to choose. They're afraid of getting it wrong!

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 8:30am EST

And there's the irony, LaRue. By not choosing, they are choosing and may still get it wrong.

Maybe the "wrong" is not so obvious when they don't choose or they can walk away from the responsibility.

reply to this comment

Lydia (part of the solution) Shelley Nov 11, 2009, 7:36am EST

"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice"
~Rush from the song "Freewill"

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 8:31am EST

Thanks for the quote, Lydia.

reply to this comment

Larry M. Nov 11, 2009, 7:54am EST

This applies especially in cases like the health care mess and global warming. On a personal level it applies to such things as choosing a career or a mate (or a doctor).

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 8:31am EST

I like the macro/micro levels of this, Larry.

reply to this comment

Kushal Poddar Nov 11, 2009, 8:00am EST

Choice, in a condition of sanity, is just as naive in the terms of probability as in the case of the choice under insanity.

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977895018

taste of the relatives

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 8:32am EST

I'll choose to take your word on that, Kushal.

reply to this comment

MrsRoad Runner Nov 11, 2009, 8:38am EST

Very good thought!

I tell my kids if they do not know (put the situation in here), then no one else is.
Some issues etc, are black or white. One can always change there minds about whatever, but it is a cop out, or a coward who can not make up there mind.
One either knows what they know, or walks through life being told what to "know".
Making sense here at 4:37 am lol!

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 11:41am EST

"One either knows what they know, or walks through life being told what to "know""

Like that, Mrs. R.

MrsRoad Runner Nov 11, 2009, 11:45am EST

Well thank you John,
Once in a while I get lucky :0)

reply to this comment

Beaker (just Beaker) Nov 11, 2009, 12:46pm EST

The "head in the sand" technique does not work (speaking from experience).

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 2:14pm EST

Beaker, I don't think it even works for the ostriches but maybe some of our Aussie friends on Gather can let us know.

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 2:15pm EST

Isn't that the same as putting your hands over your ears, sticking out your tongue and humming?

Dennis Gilman Nov 11, 2009, 3:17pm EST

But beaker, after your head-in-the sand does not work, you can always drown the pain with alchohol or some other drug. :-D)

reply to this comment

Sarah (I want points) Nov 11, 2009, 2:02pm EST

Definitely a good one!

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 2:15pm EST

Thanks, Sarah.

reply to this comment

Dennis Gilman Nov 11, 2009, 3:14pm EST

I keep telling my wife and children that. You sometimes choose not to do anything, or by not choosing, you have decided that someone or something else will decide for you.

Dennis Gilman Nov 11, 2009, 3:28pm EST

I gave a sister-in-law a driving lesson on a standard shift car. (don't ever try this at home folks) She got it moving O.K., and we started off very well, so I allowed her to go on the road.

She forgot to gear down and the car started to shudder. She panicked, took her hands off the wheel and turned to me, "What am I to do? What am I to do?" I just pulled hard on the parking brake and we came to a stop.

"Why didn't you just stop the car?"
" I didn't want to do anything wrong."

That illustrates why some do nothing. They don't want to make a wrong choice yet doing nothing usually is the wrong choice.

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 6:03pm EST

Interesting story, Dennis. Fear of making the wrong choice is often stronger than anxiety over making the right choice.

Thanks.

reply to this comment

Ruth J. Nov 11, 2009, 6:53pm EST

Interesting. This has been a subject for discussion over the many years my spouse and I have been married. I have usually suggested that by not making a decision sometimes time makes it for us. I think the idea that some are afraid of making the wrong decision is a good guess, but sometimes it's just plain procrastination. I always have felt that when the decisions I make are wrong at least I learned from them.

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 8:52pm EST

Learning from mistakes in another facet of this Byte, Ruthe. Thanks.

As for procrastination, there is usually a reason behind that.

reply to this comment

Sandre M. Nov 11, 2009, 8:36pm EST

Stand still, the world will just keep happening around you.

John Philipp Nov 11, 2009, 8:53pm EST

Like "going with the flow," Sandre.

I'd point out that that would also be a choice.

reply to this comment

Jeff K. Nov 11, 2009, 9:57pm EST

I can hardly believe that nobody has come up with this one:

Given the incoming surf, not making a decision to get the heck out of the way means you're gonna get real wet, real quick -- then get dragged out with the undertow.

Say buh-bye, now!