"The Necklace" is a short story about Mathilde Loisel, a middle-class woman who longs for a wealthy lifestyle.
Should I, or should I not? A question so powerful that it can decide whether the events to follow will be suitable or not. A question around which our lives revolve. A simple question that can change who we are forever. Yet this crucial question is often ignored. Why you might ask? Because many people in the world refuse to think before they act.
The Necklace
She would have given anything to be popular, envied, attractive, and in demand. - Narrator
As seen in this quote, Mathilde Loisel would do anything to live a luxurious life because she felt as though she would be a perfect fit for it. All she wanted was to have the jewels, the gowns, and the popularity that would come with a lavish lifestyle. Her greed clouded her judgment and caused her to take action not taking into consideration what the cost of obtaining all this might be. Mathilde Loisel did not think before acting. She saw the opportunity to experience a luxurious life for a day and she took it. After all, it is hard to resist especially when its everything she ever wanted.
Humans have to think before doing anything, it’s how the brain works. However, the phrase “think before you act” is much more than basic brain processing and is typically used to refer to think about the possible outcomes of a situation and make the best choice about what to do. In other words, by thinking before acting, one plans what will happen next. Sure, the future is unpredictable but by considering the circumstances one may be able to make a good guess about what action will give the most favorable results. Mathilde Loisel did not put any thought into her decision. She was like a kid in a candy store and blindly jumped straight to a decision, which led to her wasting her whole life. Just one wrong decision caused her to waste her valuable life over a life that she thought she wanted.
Regret is unnecessary, Think before you act." - William Shockley
Everyone has had that moment when the wrong thing was said or done and sets off a series of unwanted events. Mathilde Loisel is going to look back on her moment and is now going to have to live with that regret for the rest of her life. She knows that she wasted 10 years of her life paying the price for her greed and impulse decision with no thought behind it. Time is all that we have. Once wasted we cannot get any of it back nor is more guaranteed.
We are all gonna leave some day and you do not want to be dwelling on the past hoping to go back to change your mistakes. Henry Ford once said, “Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it.” If everyone just put a little bit of effort into thinking about what to do, majority of the time you could avoid having any regrets. Life is too short to have any regrets so think before you act and live your life to the fullest. Whenever you want to do something, take a step back to really think and ask yourself: should I, or should I not?
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