Sometimes many of the good intentions we have are left empty if they are not accompanied by actions that make them a reality; at other times, it is better to stick to good intentions than to act directly: an insufficient and problematic enough consequence can be foreseen to prevent action.
Although many of the good wishes come true by thinking about what is best for the other, the end result may not be as expected, we often make decisions based on feelings and, laden with naivety, we believe that anything is possible if done with the heart.
“Is the road to hell full of good intentions? Marina. Carlos Ruiz Zafón-
However, things do not always go as we would like, despite good wishes our actions can cause a lot of harm, before acting it is advisable to think about what we will do, if we have the ability to carry such action, and what consequences can occur after the action taken.
Despite the continuous messages we receive, such as “To achieve a certain thing, just dreaming” or “Nothing is impossible,” the truth is that there are things we cannot achieve simply with desire.
If good intentions are not accompanied by the necessary knowledge, they can end up being dangerous. The choices we make can influence both ourselves and the people we love and, without seeking to harm them, can end up being harmful.
If we wanted to operate on a sick relative to save his life, we would need not only good intentions, but also the necessary knowledge: otherwise we would end up killing the person (although we act with all our good intentions).
The familiar Dunning-Kruger effect means that the less you know, the more you think you know, so people who have little knowledge about a specific field can feel competent without being aware of their great ignorance. A lot of psychologists are tired of hearing, “I know more about psychology than you do, even though I didn’t go to college. “
“The overvaluation of the incompetent stems from the misinterpretation of one’s ability. Is the underestimation of the competent the result of a misinterpretation of the capacity of others?-David Dunning and Justin Kruger-
The same can happen with the actions we take or the advice we give to others, thinking they are best for them. Family, friends or strangers who build their business only on the pillars of good intentions, inadvertently often seal their failure.
When someone looks only in one direction, it is difficult to open our eyes to other horizons, contradictory ideas do not get along, cause discomfort and are not well received in our minds, for that reason, we tend to discard a perspective, adapting reality to the view that we like the most.
The effect of cognitive dissonance explains that when a person has two opposing thoughts, for example, “Do I think what I do is good for others?”And “A lot of people say that what I do can be harmful,” she feels that internal discomfort she has to eliminate.
By the very functioning of our minds, it is difficult to get out of the pre-found ideas we have, when something contradicts our point of view, the most natural solution is to neutralize it quickly, looking for something that supports our posture or disqualifies the person who proposes us. For some, this advocacy exercise has become such an automatic process that we are not even aware that we are doing so.
When you add up the Dunning-Kruger effect and cognitive dissonance, the results can be disastrous, there is nothing more dangerous than an ignorant man who thinks he’s capable of anything, when in fact he’s unable to look in a different direction than his.
Good intentions alone are not enough in many aspects of our lives, when it comes to important issues, such as health and well-being, it is necessary that positive desires be accompanied by knowledge and work ethic.
Although many people approach us with good intentions, remember that sometimes they are not enough, thinking before acting and seeking the advice of an expert can be more beneficial than being guided by very nice words, but also seductive and dangerous.