The Danger Of Good Intentions
Good intentions are empty if they do not result in action. But it’s also important not to act too hastily, as that could lead to unwanted consequences that can discourage you from pursuing your goal.
While we have good intentions because we want the best for someone, the end result is not always what we expected. We often make decisions based on feelings and naively think that anything is possible as long as it comes from the heart.
Things just don’t always go the way we want them to. Despite our good intentions, we can end up doing a lot of damage. Before taking action, you should reflect on what you are doing, whether you can actually do it, and what consequences it might have.
When actions ruin good intentions
Even though we constantly receive messages like ‘ if you can dream it, you can achieve it’ and ‘ nothing is impossible’, in reality there are plenty of things that you can’t achieve just because you want them.
If good intentions are not assisted by the necessary knowledge, they can become dangerous. The decisions you make can affect both you and the people you love, and even if you don’t mean to hurt them, it can happen.
If you want to operate on a sick relative to save his life, you will need more than good intentions; you need the right knowledge. If not, there’s a chance he won’t survive in the end, even with all the good intentions in the world.
The Dunning-Kruger Effect
The Dunning-Kruger effect claims that the less you know about something, the more you think you know. People who know little about a particular subject may feel competent without being aware of their ignorance. Many psychologists are tired of hearing the phrase “I know more about psychology than you do, even though I never studied for it” over and over again.
The same can happen with the actions we take or the advice we give to others with our best intentions. People who start a business with a foundation of only good intentions, without sound knowledge, generally just draw their unfortunate fate.
Stuck in our ideas
When you only look in one direction, it is difficult to open your eyes to other horizons. Conflicting ideas don’t mix, create tension and are poorly received. This is why we tend to ignore or neglect other perspectives and only make room for the views that we like the most.
The cognitive dissonance effect explains that having conflicting thoughts, such as ” I think I’m doing good things for other people” and ” People often tell me that what I’m doing can be harmful,” creates an internal tension that needs to be turned off. .
As a result of how the mind functions, it is difficult to detach ourselves from our preconceived notions. When something conflicts with our views, the most natural response is to quickly neutralize it by finding something that supports our point of view or disparages the person proposing the new idea. For some people, this defensive act has become so automatic that they are not even aware of the fact that they are doing it.
When cognitive dissonance is added to the Dunning-Kruger effect, the results can be destructive. There is nothing more dangerous than an ignorant person who thinks he is capable of any feat, but who refuses to see any perspective other than his own.
The importance of knowledge
In some aspects of life, good intentions are not enough. When it comes to an important matter, such as health or well-being, they must be accompanied by professional and ethical knowledge.
Even though most people have good intentions, remember that sometimes that just isn’t enough. Reflecting before you act and getting an expert opinion can be more beneficial than letting yourself be guided by beautiful, seductive and dangerous words.
