Monthly Archives: January 2012

Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude

Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude. – Martin Luther King Jr. What does that mean? To forgive is defined at theFreeDictionary.com as “To excuse for a fault or an offense; pardon.” or “To renounce anger or resentment against.” This … Continue reading

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In our quest for happiness and the avoidance of suffering, I believe we are all fundamentally the same, and therefore equal.

In our quest for happiness and the avoidance of suffering, I believe we are all fundamentally the same, and therefore equal. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? We are all equal in a couple ways, and unequal in plenty of others. … Continue reading

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Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great

Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? To me, the first part of the quote is the essence of enthusiasm. If you are ready, willing and able, nothing will be able to … Continue reading

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There’s nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility is being superior to your former self

There’s nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility is being superior to your former self. – Hemingway What does that mean? This quote is also attributed to Elijah Wood, who is a bit younger than the … Continue reading

Posted in communication, desire, discipline, pride, repetition, self improvement | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Buying books would be a good thing if one could also buy the time to read them in

Buying books would be a good thing if one could also buy the time to read them in. – Arthur Schopenhauer What does that mean? The Twitter version of this quote is interesting enough, but the full version of the … Continue reading

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The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal

The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal. – Aristotle What does that mean? For those who never had two or more dogs, this might not make much sense. But if you ever had more … Continue reading

Posted in beauty, effort, friendship, ideals, integrity, sympathy | Tagged , , , , | 23 Comments

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. – Confucius What does that mean? This quote hit me pretty hard, once I started thinking about it. What if it didn’t matter what kind of car you drove. What … Continue reading

Posted in calm, contemplation, happiness, improve, refresh, relaxation, simplicity | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

To understand your parents’ love you must raise children yourself

To understand your parents’ love you must raise children yourself. – Chinese Proverbs What does that mean? This will be a challenge to explain. If you have kids, you already know what the quote is talking about. If you don’t … Continue reading

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The creation of a more peaceful and happier society has to begin from the level of the individual.

The creation of a more peaceful and happier society has to begin from the level of the individual. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? This is a fairly pragmatic statement. There are only a handful of individuals in the world who … Continue reading

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It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.

It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.  – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? This quote is a little petty, but there is a certain satisfaction in putting something over on someone who regularly tries to deceive others. Successfully lying to … Continue reading

Posted in conscience, contribution, giving, obstacles, pride, setting an example | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. – George Bernard Shaw What does that mean? Communication is very important to inter-personal discussions, as it is how we move ideas from person to person. … Continue reading

Posted in communication, intelligence, knowledge, listening, observation, question | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

I always turn to the sports pages first, which records people’s accomplishments.The front page has nothing but man’s failures

I always turn to the sports pages first, which records people’s accomplishments.The front page has nothing but man’s failures. –Earl Warren What does that mean? For those of us who aren’t big fans of newspapers, this quote is the embodiment … Continue reading

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It is best to rise from life as from a banquet, neither thirsty nor drunken

It is best to rise from life as from a banquet, neither thirsty nor drunken. – Aristotle What does that mean? If I had been thinking, this would have been posted on the 31st of December, where it would have … Continue reading

Posted in freedom, governance, individuality, judgement, limits, perspective | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Fear is not a lasting teacher of duty

Fear is not a lasting teacher of duty. – Cicero What does that mean? This quote is about fear, and duty. Fear is a powerful motivator, but a brief one. Once the danger or threat is gone, so is the … Continue reading

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For peace is not mere absence of war, but is a virtue that springs from, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.

For peace is not mere absence of war, but is a virtue that springs from, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice. – Baruch Spinoza What does that mean? This quote is just a little long for use … Continue reading

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