When Inaction Is the Best Course of Action
Learn to resist the urge to always do something.
Ever heard about PIO, which stands for Pilot Induced Oscillation? It happens when a pilot, in an attempt to control the airplane, worsens the situation. Not surprisingly, PIO has been a contributing cause of many accidents to this day.
I know this may sound counterintuitive at first, but believe me: sometimes doing nothing is the best thing to do.
And, while a PIO is a kind of sophisticated example, there are plenty more in our mundane lives. Curious? Keep reading.
Social media
Once I saw a meme that went like this:
“Wanna start a fight on the internet? Step 1: post your opinion. Step 2: wait.”
On social media, without the natural filters that exist when we are face to face, arguments escalate incredibly fast. Refrain from replying to haters and trolls. Ignore them and, thanks to inaction, keep your peace of mind.
Parenting
Is your son wreaking havoc on the supermarket because you’re not buying his favorite sweet this time? Let him be. Don’t try to convince him. Don’t yell at him. Just continue filling your cart. Assert your authority by doing nothing. Trust me: he’ll put himself together faster than if you intervene.
Work
If you work in an office, I bet you’ve already seen this: a problem is born, has an ephemeral life, and dies. All that without you lifting a finger. Whenever I come back from my vacations, I see a bunch of remains of those wannabe problems.
Relationships
Be it at work or in your personal life, avoid immediate confrontation when a conflict arises, especially when emotions are running high. Instead, embrace inaction and cool off. Then, from a more stable position, re-engage the conversation later on.
Investing
Are your stocks plummeting? Don’t rush to sell them. Adopting a long-term perspective is often the best approach, which in this case — you got it — means doing nothing. Just wait.
Health
Imagine you’ve experienced a bout of diarrhea, possibly due to something you ate during that trip to the beach. Instead of immediately reaching for over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medication, it might be more beneficial to pause and let your body naturally flush out whatever is causing the diarrhea. In fact, taking an anti-diarrheal medication to interrupt this self-healing mechanism might very well put you in serious trouble. Of course, if the condition persists, go see a doctor.
Takeaway
We tend to think that, as soon as a problem arises, we should take action. Yet sometimes the opposite is true, with problems disappearing without a trace in the face of our restraint.
Give it a try. Harness the hidden power of inaction.