No action, be the greatest action sometimes young Skywalker - Yoda

A Quote:

"Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is nothing at all." - J.K. Rowling

Image Credit: Shutterstock

A Story:

As audiences watch in awe and horror – the power and destruction of a nuclear weapon is not lost on anyone – as Christopher Nolan reminds us in his latest movie Oppenheimer. The image above, of a cloud of fire rising 10,000 feet in the air, sucking the life out of everything within miles, leaves each of us struggling to grapple with what would happen if humans actually embarked on a nuclear war.

Yet, unknown to popular discourse is the reality that humanity was only so far from nuclear destruction, as the distance between a finger and a switch. The year was 1983, the United States and Soviet Union were the two global superpowers locked in a cold war that spanned decades since the end of WWII. In the small town of Serpukhov, nestled amidst the rolling hills of the Russian countryside, Stanislav Petrov, a seasoned officer in the Soviet Air Defense Forces, sat within the confines of the secret command center buried deep beneath the surface of the earth. The flashing red lights of the monitors illuminated his handsome face as he monitored the early warning systems for signs of incoming missiles.

On September 26^th, as the clock approached midnight – the unthinkable happened. The Soviet early warning system alerted the team to the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile from the United States. Fear and panic set in among the officers as the atmosphere turned grim.

Yet, as the others frantically prepared for the unthinkable, Stanislav remained strangely calm. His piercing blue eyes darted across the room, seeking any indication that this alarm was a false alarm. A sinking feeling gnawed at his gut as he realized the fate of the world rested on his shoulders.

Stanislav's mind raced as he knew that a retaliatory nuclear strike by the Soviet Union would plunge the world into a fiery inferno. But something didn't quite add up. The computer system insisted it had detected the missile launch, but Stanislav's gut told him otherwise.

In that moment where the world stood still, where the demarcation between the past, present and future merged into a single point in time, Petrov made the audacious decision ‘not’ to react. His subconscious mind reminded him that he was walking the thin tightrope between insubordination and treason – with the Soviets known for their brutal treatment of such officers. Yet he chose to trust his instincts over all the sophisticated technology surrounding him.

As the minutes stretched into an eternity, Stanislav's pulse quickened. The seconds ticked by agonizingly slow. And then, as if by a miraculous stroke of luck, the unbelievable happened – the alarm stopped blaring. The missile that threatened to wipe out millions had vanished into thin air.

In the aftermath of that harrowing night, Petrov’s actions remained shrouded in secrecy. The truth about the false alarm would not be revealed until years later. Decades would pass before the world understood how the reflected rays of the Sun off a satellite had falsely been diagnosed as a US nuclear missile, thereby triggering a false alarm in the sophisticated Soviet defense system. Stanislav Petrov, a humble man of unbelievable courage, had single-handedly averted a catastrophic nuclear war by refusing to react to the sirens' call. Nature had tried to play dice, however primal human gut instinct, surpassed technological brilliance.

A Thought:

In a world gone crazy on action and reaction, motion and commotion – the fortitude required to do ‘nothing’ is often lost on our younger generations. The media outlets holler - Move, Act, Build, Break… Just Do It! So every time you feel you are achieving nothing because you have ‘chosen’ to sit and observe and think and feel and just ‘be’ – remember the name Petrov.

Left Image: A young handsome Stanislav Petrov as a Lieutenant in the Soviet Air Defense Forces; Right Image: Petrov, in his seventies, as if looking back at his younger self in wonder

 CREDIT: Wikipedia ; David Hogsholt / Telegraph

Remember that the greatest act of rebellion that toppled the mighty British Empire was one of non-cooperation by Gandhi. Remember that Einstein moved the world forward as we know it, by sitting quietly in a room and conjuring up the Theory of Relativity. Courage lies in both action and inaction. Growth lies in motion and in rest. Triumph lies in sometimes doing nothing at all when the situation demands it.

"Success is largely the failures you avoid.

Health is the injuries you don't sustain.

Wealth is the purchases you don't make.

Happiness is the objects you don't desire.

Peace of mind is the arguments you don't engage.”

- James Clear

As a former hedge fund manager I often castigate myself for indulging in long long periods of inaction. Underperforming a raging bull market challenges ones conviction. The thin line between stubbornness and stupidity can only be known in hindsight. Nature is playing dice with all of us.

In those moments of stillness, let us remember, Inaction is a choice. Not a pause between actions. Not giving in to an unhealthy craving is a choice. Not responding to a negative remark or tweet is a choice. Not indulging in envy of a successful neighbor, is a choice (but oh how it hurts right?).

As we swim in an ever-changing ocean of thoughts, feelings, regrets, fears - may we find solace in the knowledge that sometimes, the greatest act is not doing anything at all.

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~ Thanks for reading – Anuj.

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