Why you shouldn’t do things out of ‘balda’
The answer seems obvious: because the consequences can be unpleasant.
In Russian, ‘balda’ was a word for a foolish or dim-witted person. When someone said or did something without thinking, they were acting not out of wisdom, but “от балды” (“ot baldy” or “out of stupidity”).
So, to say or do something “ot balda” means to do it arbitrarily, without thinking.
You could also say “on a whim”, “at random” or “off the top of your head” – without giving your answer any thought.
