Full Idea
If someone is being kept alive on a respirator and I switch it off, this makes death no more certain than if, when attaching the patient to the machine, I fail to switch it on.
Gist of Idea
It doesn't seem worse to switch off a life-support machine than to forget to switch it on
Source
Jonathan Glover (Causing Death and Saving Lives [1977], §7.4)
Book Reference
Glover,Jonathan: 'Causing Death and Saving Lives' [Penguin 1982], p.98
A Reaction
In practice, though, neglect is more excusable than a bad act, and (crucially) bad actions always indicate a bad character, whereas neglect may indicate a good person who is very busy. Neglect can, of course, be very wicked.