Monthly Archives: July 2011

Poverty wants some, luxury many, and avarice all things.

Posted on 16 July 2011 by philosiblog

Poverty wants some, luxury many, and avarice all things. – Seneca What does that mean? I’m not sure if Seneca was that brief, or if the translators tried to tighten up his prose. A more easily read version might go … Continue reading →

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A man should choose a friend who is better than himself.

Posted on 15 July 2011 by philosiblog

A man should choose a friend who is better than himself. – Chinese Proverbs What does that mean? A person should try to improve themselves. That can be done in many ways, but this saying promotes finding a friend who is better … Continue reading →

Posted in self improvement | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.

Posted on 14 July 2011 by philosiblog

Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? It means that no matter what you do, there are some people who are going hate you. If you do evil, the good … Continue reading →

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If you don’t know where you’re going…

Posted on 13 July 2011 by philosiblog

If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there. – Lewis Carroll But this line is not in the Alice in Wonderland books. The proper exchange is : “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought … Continue reading →

Posted in clarity, decision, direction, goals, motivation, vision | Tagged , , , , | 34 Comments

Everybody is a genius…

Posted on 12 July 2011 by philosiblog

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. – Albert Einstein What does that mean? Einstein is stating here that he … Continue reading →

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Life is like a ten-speed bike…

Posted on 11 July 2011 by philosiblog

Life is like a ten-speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use. – Charles Schultz What does that mean? Like most of the roads around town (with some notable exceptions, like Florida & Kansas), there hills and valleys. It … Continue reading →

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To arrive at certainty, you need…

Posted on 10 July 2011 by philosiblog

To arrive at certainty, you need to start from a skeptical posture. The best scientists are impartial, not swayed by their own beliefs. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? The subject of this comment is the Scientific Method. Throughout the history of science, … Continue reading →

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It is a rough road that leads…

Posted on 9 July 2011 by philosiblog

It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness. – Seneca What does that mean? To me, it speaks of the difficulties that often precede any significant accomplishment. The most rewarding accomplishment can be the one that included … Continue reading →

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…though with a little axe…

Posted on 8 July 2011 by philosiblog

Many strokes, though with a little axe, hew down and fell the hardest-timber’d oak. – William Shakespeare Quoting directly from The Third part of King Henry the Sixth, Act 2, Scene 1 (5th and 6th lines from the Messenger) “And many … Continue reading →

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Anger is never without Reason…

Posted on 7 July 2011 by philosiblog

Anger is never without Reason, but seldom with a good One. – Benjamin Franklin What does that mean? Anger is frequently seen, and it almost always claims to be justified. However, as Ben rightly states, the reason that is given, it is … Continue reading →

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We cannot direct the wind…

Posted on 6 July 2011 by philosiblog

We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. – Bertha Calloway also attributed to Dolly Parton What does that mean? To me, it speaks of the forces of nature which we are unable to control. We can’t … Continue reading →

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You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.

Posted on 5 July 2011 by philosiblog

You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take. – Wayne Gretzky What does that mean? If you don’t do it, it won’t happen. If you don’t take a shot, you’ll never make the goal. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? … Continue reading →

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No person was ever honored for…

Posted on 4 July 2011 by philosiblog

No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave. – Calvin Coolidge What does that mean? We don’t honor people for what they got, like lottery winners. What they have already … Continue reading →

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To have true friends and be loved…

Posted on 3 July 2011 by philosiblog

To have true friends and be loved by them, we must in turn feel love and sympathy for others. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? This reminds me of the phrase “to have a friend you have to be a … Continue reading →

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There is no delight in owning anything unshared.

Posted on 2 July 2011 by philosiblog

There is no delight in owning anything unshared. – Seneca What does that mean? This seems fairly straight forward, doesn’t it? How many things have you ever purchased that you deliberately hid from the world, that nobody else knew about? … Continue reading →

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