Thought may be the noblest, but the real contributions of a man are his actions and not thoughts. It is logical and most justified, because life is action, not contemplation. After all, what man knows or thinks to be right should find expression in what he actually does. If we go on thinking and contemplating about the rights and wrongs of a particular course of action and do nothing practical, we can only earn the reputation of being ivory-tower philosophers. In modern era, man lives by actions, not by ideas, though thoughtless actions often prove dangerous and even disastrous. In the ultimate analysis, mere contemplation signifies only lethargy, while activity indicates life and speed, both of which ensure gains. Hence, man’s actions are the best interpreters of his thoughts; nothing else can be a sure index.
We all are quite familiar with the theory of Karma; still we are prone to believe that our destiny is already ordained and written. There are countless people in this country who just lie idly waiting for something to happen according to their destiny. They simply believe that since they are God’s creatures, the Almighty Himself would provide them the various means, what they deserve. They do not accept challenges, take risks and, march ahead one inch courageously, on the other hand think that what they are do is pre-written. But they get a rude shock when they suffer severely day after day and find no alternatives.
The author of the dictum “Life is action, not contemplation” was Goethe, a famous German writer who is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. Goethe was known to be a great dreamer and thinker, but a firm believer of proper actions in life. He realized that it is action alone that can lead to a nation’s salvation. According to him the dreamers and idlers who do nothing are a burden to society. In India we have the theory of action called the Karma Yoga, which states that man is nothing, but a product of his actions or Karmas. We can site the example of Sir Isaac Newton. Thousands of people see the falling of an apple from an apple tree. But Newton’s endless contemplation, followed by committed actions gave to the world the theory of gravity.
It is wrong to say that thinking is not necessary or a dispensable habit. In fact, thoughtless actions often prove troublesome and may even lead to disaster. If we act hastily and thoughtlessly, we generally have to repent at leisure. Hence, we all must give wings to our dreams to fly high, which is our action. Therefore, anyone who cultivates the habit of endless thinking, without translating most such thoughts into reality, loses all his opportunities of taking concrete action.