Category Archives: decision

Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.

Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive. – Elbert Hubbard What does that mean? Too many people seem to take life so very seriously. This quote advises us against that path, urging us … Continue reading

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If merely ‘feeling good’ could decide, drunkenness would be the supremely valid human experience.

If merely ‘feeling good’ could decide, drunkenness would be the supremely valid human experience. – William James What does that mean? This quote is part of a larger discussion of the way we make decisions and determine what we think … Continue reading

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When anger enters the mind, wisdom departs.

When anger enters the mind, wisdom departs – Thomas à Kempis What does that mean? Anger. In moderation it can be somewhat useful as a motivator. But how rarely is it used in moderation? It seems to run past moderation … Continue reading

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What does it mean to be slandered? Stand by a stone and slander it. If a man listens like a stone, what effect has the slanderer?

What does it mean to be slandered? Stand by a stone and slander it. If a man listens like a stone, what effect has the slanderer? – Epictetus What does that mean? This quote is part of a longer discussion … Continue reading

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What is permissible is not always honorable.

What is permissible is not always honorable. – Cicero What does that mean? As many large societies are based on laws, we tend to focus on what is permissible and what is proscribed, without much thought in regards to why. … Continue reading

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My mind is an infinity of possibilities. This can be good or bad, but the choice is mine.

My mind is an infinity of possibilities. This can be good or bad, but the choice is mine. – Marcus Aurelius What does that mean? While this quote is a bit of a paraphrasing of a very large paragraph, it … Continue reading

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Ability without honor is useless.

Ability without honor is useless. – Cicero What does that mean? A similar quote is attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said “Ability without honor has no value,” so it appears to be a popular thought. Ability, in this quote, … Continue reading

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Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement.

Good judgement comes from experience. Experience often comes from bad judgement. – Mulla Nasrudin What does that mean? This quote about judgement is hard to source, having been attributed to dozens of people all the way back to the 13th … Continue reading

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Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. – Winston Churchill What does that mean? We all have days when things refuse to go right for us. Sometimes we get mad, sometimes … Continue reading

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If tragedy strikes, don’t lose hope. Transform it into an opportunity to make things better.

If tragedy strikes, don’t lose hope. Transform it into an opportunity to make things better. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? This is a great quote about our attitude. Bad things happen to good people. But what do we … Continue reading

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I cannot tell you that I lose nothing, but whatever I do lose I can tell you how and why the loss occurred.

I cannot tell you that I lose nothing, but whatever I do lose I can tell you how and why the loss occurred. – Seneca What does that mean? In the original text, he is moving between discussing the value … Continue reading

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We have to try to solve local problems keeping global interests in mind.

We have to try to solve local problems keeping global interests in mind. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? This quote is about solving problems. We all have problems, issues, troubles, or whatever word you prefer to use. And we … Continue reading

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Disaster is Virtue’s opportunity.

Disaster is Virtue’s opportunity. – Seneca What does that mean? Also translated as Calamity is Virtue’s opportunity, it is a call to us to not shrink from the unpleasant things which fall our way in life. This quote is a … Continue reading

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Philosophy did not find Plato already a noble man; it made him one.

Philosophy did not find Plato already a noble man; it made him one. – Seneca What does that mean? This is a neat quote, as it gives us a thought on what the study of Philosophy can do for a … Continue reading

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Reading is equivalent to thinking with someone else’s head instead of with one’s own.

Reading is equivalent to thinking with someone else’s head instead of with one’s own. – Arthur Schopenhauer What does that mean? Many of us will, from time to time, try to imagine what someone is thinking, or how they came … Continue reading

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