Never Mistake Motion for Action

405 Words2 Pages
September 3rd, 2012 Hemingway’s quote “never mistake motion for action” can be summarized as a belief that over the course of a lifetime, a person can spend his time doing much while accomplishing little. Actions are meant to be purposeful and deliberate leaving you with a sense of fulfillment upon their completions. Whereas spending a lifetime of randomly going through the motions can leave a person unmotivated and ultimately feeling incomplete. Contrary to our history, modern society bases itself on a mindset of instant gratification choosing to settle for the mundane motions rather than striving for excellence like leaders of the past. History books are written of great men like our fore fathers, who chose to carve a path of hard work and determination to reach their goals and make the world a better place. Hemingway’s words embody a message that our culture desperately needs. In the past, great men chose to act in the better interest of the common good. George Washington chose to free our nation, Abraham Lincoln chose to free the slaves, and Martin Luther King Jr. chose to free the country of its bigoted racial prejudices. All of these men chose to avoid going through the motions and live with a purpose that was outside of the social norm. It is for that reason that they are to be revered. When a person or group of people chooses to act in the interest of others, they avoid going through the motions and better not only themselves but those around them. Sadly in today’s general public heroes such as these are sorely needed. Instead society chooses to idolize people from the Jersey Shore, who live a foolish selfish lifestyle. They do many things such as party and drink but they never accomplish anything with this lifestyle. I personally think this exemplifies the difference between motion and action. Action occurs when one strives to better the world around
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