“The price of inaction is far greater than the cost of making a mistake.”
This quote is by Meister Eckhart, a German theologian, philosopher, and mystic who lived from 1260 to 1328.
In several of my posts I have written about the importance of not being afraid to make mistakes. Making mistakes is a natural part of being a human being. But I have to admit that I often need to remind myself of this because I, like most people, don’t like to make mistakes. I think I feel that way because I want to appear knowledgeable and capable to others and to myself. Perhaps quotations on this topic catch my attention because it is something I need to be better at accepting.
Being too concerned that we might make a mistake holds us back from moving forward in our lives. When we are too cautious, we limit our ability to add to what we know and to what we know how to do. We miss out on having new and meaningful experiences. These and other missed opportunities are the price of inaction to which Meister Eckhart refers.
Here’s an example from my life: Some years ago, I was asked to supervise new employees at the crisis line where I was working. I had worked as a crisis counselor there for a few years and therefore I was familiar with doing that work, for I had spoken with numerous people who had called for assistance and I had completed many training and continuing education classes related to various aspects of that work. And even though my being asked to do this was an acknowledgement that I was considered a capable counselor, and even though I felt that the service provided was valuable in that it was clear it had helped many people who contacted us, I was initially hesitant to say yes. I’m sure the main reason for my hesitation was because I was afraid I would make mistakes.
When I told a good friend that I was struggling to make the decision, he said he thought I would be a capable supervisor and also said it’s important for people to “stretch” themselves, to not limit themselves by staying in their comfort zone. Thinking about what my friend said helped me to decide, and I did supervise other counselors for several years. It was a good experience for me and added to my sense of purpose. I did make some mistakes, of course, and those mistakes provided the basis for discussions with my supervisees which helped them and me to become more competent counselors.
I also think about the many people who have stretched themselves by their involvement in meaningful causes such as social justice and caring for the environment, volunteering for programs that help to improve the lives others, and putting the time and effort into developing their own talents and potential that in turn will help others as well as enrich their own lives.
So the message of Meister Eckhart’s words continues to be relevant today, some 700 years after he lived. We human beings continue to have many of the same personal challenges generation after generation. I’m thankful for the writings of Eckhart and of the many other women and men whose words of wisdom I have written about in my blog, for they help us to remember what matters and to provide guidance as we travel our earthly journeys.