Action Quote by Ludwig von Mises
“He who acts under an emotional impulse also acts. What distinguishes an emotional action from other actions is the valuation of input and output. Emotions disarrange valuations. Inflamed with passion, man sees the goal as more desirable and the price he has to pay for it as less burdensome than he would in cool deliberation.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Human Action, Ludwig von Mises, 1949
Emotions skew our assessment of costs and benefits, making us overvalue goals and undervalue effort.
In simple terms: Passion distorts judgment of value.
Key Takeaway
Recognize emotional bias before deciding.
Themes
economics
psychology
decision making
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
philosophical
practical
When to use this quote
- investment decisions
- personal relationships
- career planning
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
valuation
emotional bias
cost-benefit analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you separate genuine desire from emotional hype?
- When should you trust your gut versus rational analysis?
A Different Perspective
Emotions can also provide useful motivation, not just distortion.
![“[Action's] a Western thing. We think of the hero going into battle, rebelling against a government or an oppressor, but [in KUNDUN] action is nonaction or what appears to be nonaction. That's a hard concept for Western audiences. . . . We wanted to show a kind of moral action, a spiritual action…” quote by Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/77e/martin-scorsese-1663_action_action-s-a-western-thing-we-think-of-the_2942348.jpg)
