Acting after due Consideration
Thelivi Ladhanaith Thotangaar Ilivennum / Edhappaatu Anju Pavar
Classical English couplet — “A work of which the issue is not clear,Begin not they reproachful scorn who fear”
What it says in plain words
“People who want to avoid shame think carefully before acting. They do not start something without understanding its likely results.”
The classical Tamil reading
இழிவு தருவதாகியக் குற்றத்திற்கு அஞ்சுகின்றவர் (இன்ன ஊதியம் பயிக்கும் என்னும்) தெளிவு இல்லாத செயலைத் தொடங்கமாட்டார்.
An expanded Tamil interpretation
களங்கத்துக்குப் பயப்படக் கூடியவர்கள்தான் விளைவுகளை எண்ணிப் பார்த்து அந்தக் களங்கம் தரும் காரியத்தில் இறங்காமல் இருப்பார்கள்
The ethical and philosophical heart
A rushed choice can bring trouble and damage your good name. Before starting, ask what the action is likely to bring. The key is to understand the likely results before you commit. This matters when your choices affect money, work, or other people.
In personal life, work and society
- Personal
- Before joining a money scheme, you check how it works and what you could lose.
- Workplace
- Before promising a delivery date, you check whether the team can meet it.
- Family
- Before booking a family trip, you check the full cost.
- Society
- Before starting a community project, volunteers check whether their plan can deliver what they promise.
How to apply this today
- Decision-making
- Pause when the likely results are unclear, and gather more information.
- Integrity
- Before making a promise, check whether you can keep it.
- Communication
- Ask questions instead of pretending you understand an unclear plan.
- Leadership
- Help your team understand likely results before starting the work.
- Governance
- Before spending public money, check what a project can realistically achieve.
For leaders and teams
Good leaders seek clarity before acting when others depend on them. Check likely results before asking people to follow your plan.
Something to sit with
“What choice today needs a clearer understanding of its likely results?”