Saying you’ll do something and not doing it is worse than not doing it in the first place.
Saying you’ll do something and not doing it is worse than not doing it in the first place.
Saying you’ll do something and not doing it is worse than not doing it in the first place. There’s nothing wrong with not being able to do something. There is something wrong with misrepresenting your ability or intention to do something and then never following up.
The most concrete example I have to offer is from this summer. I was unexpectedly in Bishop,CA with some hikers I had met the day before. We were all staying at a hostel together and walked to get pizza. On the way back, we spotted a dog running around in the road (a state highway!), dodging traffic. There was a group of people attempting to follow it. We called out to them and asked if they needed help catching the dog, to which they replied “No, we got it!”
They did not, in fact, have it. Soon after leaving the main street, the group of 4 had a brief discussion, and started walking the opposite direction of the dog. One of them waved a hand off in the animal’s direction as a sort of “so long, good riddance.” Luckily, Good Snacks and I happened to be watching as they gave up. We quickly took up the chase, cornered the dog in a motel laundry room, and were eventually able to contact the owner and return the dog!
The only reason this dog got reunited with its owner is that Good Snacks has a keen sense of character. The group that had promised they were handling the situation was obviously more concerned with drinking than the animal. Even though their intentions were good, they did more damage by volunteering for work they weren’t willing to do and dissuading others with more wherewithal from helping.
To quote Rick and Morty, “Shitting the bed isn’t better than not shitting the bed.” You have to accept that sometimes not doing anything is the best course of action for you, even if claiming you will do something gets you instant gratification and brownie points. Then you’re just playing the reputation game on margin.