It is not enough to have a good mind – Rene Descartes

It is not enough to have a good mind: This quote is about action vs inaction – it is all about the lovely thoughts which influence us out of which only a few result in action. The other thoughts get submerged in our reasons of practicality, difficulty and some more rational explanations. The same applies to our dreams and passions which get influenced by our experiences.

But none of these really matter. Ultimately, we only have one question to answer – what did we do about our thoughts? Our thoughts are sometimes meaningless if they don’t drive us to results. The greatest thoughts in the world will be meaningless if they’re not supported by adequate actions to make a difference.

It is not enough to have a good mind – Meaning

What does it really mean when someone says – it is not enough to have a good mind? Theoretically, we all have a very good mind, don’t we? Normally speaking, we all have some good and bad thoughts. For the sake of simplicity, let’s define good thoughts as the ones which help others, and make you feel better. Bad thoughts are the ones that hurt others and make you feel awful about yourself.

Do thoughts alone matter? On a normal day, I feel like I should help a less fortunate person, donate to a charity and go to the gym because these help me fill my moral fibre. But these thoughts alone make no difference unless I do something about it. These can be wonderful thoughts that can escape in the rationalisation of – Oh I meant to do it but. These reasons, buts and ifs can influence most of our actions. The only question to ask is – So what?

So what if I have all these good thoughts if they don’t account for anything else? Isn’t it the actions that matter and make the most difference? And that’s where you find the crux of this quote – using your good mind to produce the necessary action and results.

The main thing is to use it well

We all have a great mind which can think of stunning capabilities at any point in time. We also have these experiences or versions of reality that influence these thoughts. A productive way to listen to your thoughts without any judgement.

What does listening without judgement mean? : It means that when we have a thought, we do justice to it without telling ourselves that it is not possible. Don’t worry or care about what society thinks about your thoughts. These are your private thoughts that deserve listening. Your emotions are beautiful – even when they hurt you. They are trying to send a message to you in the form of a thought. It is the truest version of any thought because it is not filtered by anything else.

The first step in understanding your mind is to listen to your thought. Once you know what the thought is – ask the curious question of why. Why is this thought coming to you, what is its purpose and most importantly what does the action resulting from this thought mean to you?

Trust your own mind quotes

Everything starts with conscious thought and this entails having your own thoughts and being aware of them. Here are a few have-your-own-mind quotes to engage a conscious thought process.

You have a brain and a mind of your own, use it and reach your own decisions – Napoleon Hill

Our doubts are traitors. And make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt – Shakespeare

The world is nothing but your own magnified mind – Osho

The mind reflects the world and the world reflects the mind – James Pierce

It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do – John Baptiste Moliere

Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Joy follows a pure thought like a shadow that never leaves – Buddha

Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so – Shakespeare

Listening to your thoughts

This is one of the most common reasons why good thoughts or good people don’t act. They are either too afraid or too practical. They don’t want these thoughts to be either challenged or face failure. In this fear, these thoughts get submerged. But point yourself to the first line of this quote – it is not enough to have a good mind. Your thoughts don’t matter unless you do something about them because no one can hear or see them.

Don’t want to convert your thoughts into justifications about why something did not happen. The world is pretty simple – you either did something or didn’t. Just because you thought of doing something, it doesn’t produce any results. You ought to find a way to channel and use your thoughts to make a difference.

Reasons and Justifications: They can logically kill your thoughts before they even amount to something. Don’t fall into the common trap of suppressing your emotions in the name of reality. The only reality out there is the truth that comes from your actions.

Using your thoughts well

I’m not suggesting that any of this is easy at all. These things are damn difficult because we live in an environment where all our thoughts are influenced by social media, peer groups, television ads etc. They keep telling us what to think. Sometimes this voice is so loud that it suppresses the voice of your own emotions and thoughts.

Again, I will reiterate the same line – it is not enough to have a good mind – the main thing is to use it well. And the using part is your strategy about how you do something. Once you create a purpose and reason for your thoughts, actions – strategy is relatively easy. Focus on creating a strong resolve for your thoughts. Most times your emotions give you all the reasons why you should do something.

There will be reasons why you shouldn’t do something as well. Listen to those emotions too – as long as they are your own. It is easy to theorize everything and finally don’t do anything at all. But please remember that you’re responsible for not only the things you do but also the things that you don’t do as well.

On that note, I leave this quote analysis with these powerful words from Rene Descartes

It Is Not Enough To Have A Good Mind; The Main Thing Is To Use It Well”

Rene Descartes (Source)