Now that the long political campaign season has come to an end in the United States, we can return our focus to family, community, and local issues. We can take a break from the partisan debates of national politics—as important as those can be.
One lesson that grew from my thinking and some conversations I had with friends during election time is that what someone does is far more important than what they say.
This is true for politicians who make grand promises or slander an opponent for votes. Even principled politicians get carried away by the combative nature of politics, and those less principled ones may say genuinely troublesome things.
But at the end of the day, when you vote, you’re considering what you think a person will do with the power you give them. Words matter, but actions matter far more.
The same principle carries into our personal lives, but it’s not something I’ve often heard talked about. Words of kindness, ambitions for good, and outcries against injustice are important, but they are worth very little. What matters is where you direct your time, energy, and resources.
5 Reasons Why Actions Speak Louder Than Words
1. Action Produces Visible Change
In our personal lives, as well as in our communities, intentions are not enough to change the status quo. In life, we build habits that powerfully shape us. In our social order, we create institutions such as marriage, church, clubs, and legal systems that do the same. If you want to leave the world a different place, you need to be a builder, not just a talker.2. Actions Have Lasting Impact
Actions change things in the here and now and leave the world a different place for generations to come. Very practically in my own life, my decision to attend college and pursue my wife has led to a large, happy family with four children. I hope they have children of their own and fill the world with even more hopeful, kind people.3. Action Holds Us Accountable
One of the things about having a job is that it really teaches you responsibility and that your words matter. I work with a small team of people I really like, and we have immense trust in each other. I can’t just say I’ll do something and not do it. That would only work for so long in a place where I’m known, and my actions are seen. What counts, in their eyes, is that I do the things I say I’ll do. When your actions and works are in harmony, others learn to depend on you and see you as worthy of respect.4. Action Sets Example
As a parent of the four children mentioned above, this one hits close to home. It’s as if my actions count for twice as much because they produce visible change, have long-lasting impact, and hold me accountable—they’re also an example to each one of my children. Even beyond our family, our actions shape the norms and expectations of those around us as we all contribute to the culture of our society.5. Actions Reveal Your True Character
Actions are the great revealer. The Book of James in the Christian bible speaks forcefully on the subject, saying that faith without deeds is dead. We can say we believe something, but if our actions don’t back it up, we’re doing nothing more than stroking our ego or signaling our virtue. Action matters because it comes with a cost, it puts real skin in the game and reveals the character behind the veneer of our polite or promising words.
Talk is cheaper than action. If you want to know who someone is, look at their actions. If you want to change the world around you, take action. If you want to be a better person, commit to action and follow through. What you do matters because it has a direct impact on others—far more than words alone could ever do.
