Situations 33&34
IMPRUDENCE AND CAUTION
“How true it is that our destinies are decided by nothing and that a small imprudence helped by some insignificant accident, as an acorn is fertilized by a drop of rain, may raise the trees on which perhaps we and others shall be crucified.”
–HENRI FREDERICK AMIEL
Imprudence
Imprudence is the condition of being unwise or indiscreet and lacking caution.
This situation requires the Imprudent and the Victim or Object Lost.
In this situation an Imprudent character has done something without thinking it through and has gotten himself, and possibly others, into trouble. This situation is based on the hasty actions of a character that have big consequences. It’s as if this character has triggered a series of dominoes that twist and turn the story with each falling piece.
Imprudence is sparked by several distinct motives: Curiosity, Credulity, Jealousy, Passion, and Human Weakness, but the results of the Fatal Imprudence are interchangeable.
• Curiosity is a desire to know or learn about people or things that do not concern one.
• Credulity is to believe too readily, to be gullible.
• Jealousy is the desire to have something someone else has. (Unlike Envy, where one would destroy an object to keep someone else from having it.)
• Passion comes from strong emotions, desires, and needs.
• Human Weaknesses can be sleep, hunger, gluttony, lust, and childish simplicity.
Whatever the reason or motive for the Fatal Imprudence, the character has set off a chain reaction that no one can stop. He soon realizes he will have to pay the price for his actions.
THE IMPRUDENT
The Imprudent can be either a Fool or a Rebel. The Fool thinks he may, by some fluke, be above the law; the Rebel knows he is and demands it.
A Fool is the silly simpleton who doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation. He makes a decision in haste because he has absolutely no idea of the differing consequences or results of it. He may expect good in others and be idealistic toward them, believing everything they say. People have a habit of bailing him out of jams, and he may have come to rely on always being saved, except this time that may not be possible. He takes risks and is irresponsible and reckless with no thought to the future.
A Rebel knows no boundaries. He does whatever he wants whenever he wants. Rules are made to be broken, and he will make decisions in haste because he believes things will always work out in his favor. It’s not his fault if someone else is hurt by his decision; it’s up to others to take care of themselves. He didn’t force the choice upon him, fate did. It’s fate’s fault for leaving faulty outcomes at his feet. If his decision causes pain, he blames everyone but himself. He may be trying to do some good, so he can rationalize any decision he has to make. He may call it choosing the lesser of two evils.
VICTIM OR LOST OBJECT
The Victim or Lost Object is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Perhaps knowing the Imprudent is the Victim’s only mistake in all of this, but there is nothing that can be done. Fate has taken over as far as the Victim or Lost Object is concerned.
The Imprudent one has done something that has either affected someone (or an Object) who is now a Victim of his actions. Perhaps the Imprudent one gets behind the wheel of his car while he is overly emotional and hits an innocent pedestrian. The Victim didn’t do anything wrong; she was just walking down the street at the wrong time.
Of course the Imprudent one can also be the Victim of his own actions. He may be overcome with guilt for having hurt an innocent bystander.
Whether Imprudence is used as plot, subplot, or incident, the elements of the beginning, middle, and end are the same:
BEGINNING: The Imprudent receives a motivating force (curiosity, for example). He may be warned away.
• What type of Imprudent is in this situation?
• Do other characters see the disaster ahead and try to warn him?
• Are there other characters there to instigate the Imprudent?
• How many Victims are on the line?
• Why does the Imprudent act with such haste?
• What happened to make the Imprudent hasty? Is there a time element?
MIDDLE: The Imprudent makes a hasty decision and has to live with it.
• How do other characters react to his decision?
• How hard is the Victim hit?
• Does the Imprudent care about the Victim or Lost Object?
• Does the Imprudent take even a little bit of responsibility here?
• Did his choice set up several other choices for him to make? Is he spiraling out of control?
• Will another character try to bail him out?
END: The Imprudent is punished for his haste. The Victim gets justice or the Lost Object is found.
• Does the Imprudent punish himself? Or is he punished?
• What lesson is learned here?
• What do other characters do or feel about this event? Do they try to prevent it from happening again?
• Is the Imprudent humiliated at all? Or still blaming others?
“When science discovers the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to find they are not it.”
–BERNARD BAILEY
Caution
To be cautious means to be careful, tentative, or restrained in behavior or decisions.
In this situation the Imprudent becomes the Cautious. He is someone who takes his time making decisions because he doesn’t want to make the wrong choice. He knows he is not infallible. He doesn’t have anything to prove and can therefore act or not act without pressure. He doesn’t have a strong sense of pride that needs to be tended. If someone else steps up to make a decision ahead of him, that is fine.
The problem comes when he is unable to make a decision for fear of making the wrong one. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone, so he procrastinates, waiting for the right time to make a decision. He wants all the facts before saying a word. Sometimes waiting is not an option, especially if someone is in danger right now and he needs to decide to help them. His procrastination can get the better of him, and he may inadvertently harm a Victim or Object because of it. Imagine if he has to cut the wires on a bomb and can’t decide what to do!
He has to learn to act when appropriate, to stand up for what he believes and risk being assertive. True assertiveness is not aggressive; it sets boundaries against what is not wanted and allows in what is wanted. Without it one cannot create nor do anything of value in the world. To teach, one must say “I know;” to have, one must say “This is mine;” to create, one must say, “I am creative.” If he focuses too much on being cautious he will never be assertive and others will not to listen to him.
The seven steps to ethical decision making (according to the Josephson Institute of Ethics, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the ethical quality of society) are:
1. stop and think
2. clarify goals
3. determine facts
4. develop options
5. consider consequences
6. choose
7. monitor and modify
The Cautious one gets into trouble with step six, choose—that is, if there is time enough to get to step six before a decision should be made.
This type of situation can be seen a lot in cop buddy movies where one cop is a loose cannon (Fatal Imprudence) and the other wants to do things slowly and figure things out. He feels his responsibilities more (Caution).
Whether Caution is used as plot, subplot, or incident, the elements of the beginning, middle, and end are the same:
BEGINNING: A Cautious character is faced with making a decision.
• Can he act?
• What is at stake? Is this too much pressure for him?
• Why does he hesitate?
• Are there other characters around who want to make the decision and grow impatient with him?
• Is he being set up by other characters?
• Is he being careful or afraid to act?
• How does this situation relate to other subplots?
MIDDLE: The Cautious character is still gathering information and weighing options.
• Are the consequences too big for him? (Think about Star Trek commanders having to decide to sacrifice a crewmember for the good of the whole.)
• Does he have anyone else to talk to about this? Someone he trusts? Advisors of some sort?
• What are other characters doing? Getting ready to mutiny?
END: The Cautious character makes a decision or is overthrown by someone else who does.
• Does he make a decision? Can he stand behind it?
• If not, how is he pushed aside? Is the wrong decision made by his replacement?
• What are the consequences of the decision?
• What is at stake for the Cautious character?
• Can a bad decision be corrected?
EXAMPLES
King Lear, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
IMPRUDENCE AS PLOT— An aging King makes a rash judgement and turns his kingdom over to his cruel, selfish daughters and sends away the only daughter who truly cares for him and for the kingdom.
Lethal Weapon, RICHARD DONNER
IMPRUDENCE AND CAUTION AS SUBPLOT— A veteran detective is partnered with a young detective who seems to have a suicidal death wish.
Crimson Tide, TONY SCOTT
CAUTION AND IMPRUDENCE AS PLOT— On a U.S. nuclear missile submarine, a young first officer stages a mutiny to prevent his trigger-happy captain from launching his missiles before confirming his orders to do so.
Little Women, LOUISA MAY ALCOTT
CAUTION AS SUBPLOT— Jo waits too long to decide to marry long-time friend, Laurie, and ends up losing him to her younger sister.