a man of action

I found a copy of The Autobiography of Malcolm X on a bookshelf here and am rereading it. A pretty gripping story. From a life of crime to the most popular leader in the Nation of Islam to his conversion to true Islam. There is much in his character to admire, and it is impressive how influential he became. It's sad that his life ended just as he was beginning to truly see the light.

The intensity of his life and relentlessness in acting on his convictions have made me wonder a bit whether I've taken too quiet a path. He says: "I've never been one for inaction. Everything I've felt strongly about, I've done something about." And his energy and zeal certainly made an impact on many people. But the tragedy is that he eventually realized that he had been relentlessly preaching a religion practically as racist as the people he denounced. Men of action are so admired, yet how often do they end up wishing their action could be undone?

Interestingly, in the epilogue Malcolm X is commenting on the threatening response when he left the Nation of Islam and remarks heatedly, "There's nothing more frightful than ignorance in action."