Spirituality, Religion, it's all bullshit....

[MorganGrayson]

Originally Posted by PornoDoggy

A decision is a mental process (I need coffee).

An action is a physical process (I go get coffee).

The decision has no impact UNLESS you take action.

If a decision was an action, I would have lost 75 pounds and no longer consume tobacco products.

I have made the decision that I need to loose weight many times. I have made the decision that I need to quit smoking many times.

My failure to take subsequent actions to effect those changes does not negate the decision.

The decision that you need coffee has an impact on no one.

The action of going to get coffee can impact many people. If, for example, you run over a cop in a crosswalk the impact of your actions (leaving the house, starting the car, blah blah blah) will ripple around you.

*writer tip toeing into the fray*
You all have excellent points, but I believe I'm siding with sarettah on this one. Why? I put the reasons in bold. The verb you used. You "made" a decision. An action. You even referred to the actual dieting as "subsequent actions." Not *the* action, another action. There is quite a point to actions being only in the physical world, but I think it's too narrow a definition.

[PornoDoggy]

Originally Posted by MorganGrayson

*writer tip toeing into the fray*
You all have excellent points, but I believe I'm siding with sarettah on this one. Why? I put the reasons in bold. The verb you used. You "made" a decision. An action. You even referred to the actual dieting as "subsequent actions." Not *the* action, another action. There is quite a point to actions being only in the physical world, but I think it's too narrow a definition.

You did a good job of identifying the crux of the problem: "There is quite a point to actions being only in the physical world, but I think it's too narrow a definition."

I think the distinction between mental and physical is of the utmost importance.

Deciding I need to lose weight is a mental process. Medically, I have a doctor who tells me that every time I see him, so the decision is based on scientific fact.

I accept the suggestion of the doctor. It is true that I need to lose weight.

It is very true that the logical next step is to take subsequent actions to accomplish that.

But I'm a human being. What is logical is not always what I will do.

Thus, the decision means nothing without action.

[sarettah]

Originally Posted by PornoDoggy

You did a good job of identifying the crux of the problem: "There is quite a point to actions being only in the physical world, but I think it's too narrow a definition."

I think the distinction between mental and physical is of the utmost importance.

Deciding I need to lose weight is a mental process. Medically, I have a doctor who tells me that every time I see him, so the decision is based on scientific fact.

I accept the suggestion of the doctor. It is true that I need to lose weight.

It is very true that the logical next step is to take subsequent actions to accomplish that.

But I'm a human being. What is logical is not always what I will do.

Thus, the decision means nothing without action.

Ah but you have not made the decision or actually accepted his word. If you truly accepted that you NEED to lose weight then you would make the decisions necessary to make that result happen. Since you are only giving the doctor lip service and don't really think you NEED to lose weight then you have subsequently made the decision to not take the additional steps necessary to make the weight loss happen.

[MorganGrayson]

Originally Posted by PornoDoggy

You did a good job of identifying the crux of the problem: "There is quite a point to actions being only in the physical world, but I think it's too narrow a definition."

I think the distinction between mental and physical is of the utmost importance.

Deciding I need to lose weight is a mental process. Medically, I have a doctor who tells me that every time I see him, so the decision is based on scientific fact.

I accept the suggestion of the doctor. It is true that I need to lose weight.

It is very true that the logical next step is to take subsequent actions to accomplish that.

But I'm a human being. What is logical is not always what I will do.

Thus, the decision means nothing without action.

PD, what you have done now is criticize the action and declare it invalid...not prove that it wasn't an action. It was an action lacking the necessary subsequent actions.