Category Archives: observation

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.

Posted on 10 February 2012 by philosiblog

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. – Henry David Thoreau What does that mean? What do you see, or do you usually just look? It’s only human to not see everything. There is just … Continue reading →

Posted in communication, discovery, focus, listening, observation, understanding | Tagged , , , , | 22 Comments

Take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly, and try another. But by all means, try something.

Posted on 30 January 2012 by philosiblog

Take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly, and try another. But by all means, try something. – Franklin D. Roosevelt What does that mean? I like this quote, as it talks about human learning. We get an idea in our head, and we think about how we might accomplish … Continue reading →

Posted in discovery, effort, failure, flexibility, observation, persistence | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly, and try another. But by all means, try something.

Things are never so bad they can’t be made worse

Posted on 23 January 2012 by philosiblog

Things are never so bad they can’t be made worse. – Humphrey Bogart What does that mean? This quote is listed as being from the motion picture “The African Queen,” where he is the Captain of an ill-fated little steamer. Without going into the details, his ship gets banged up, … Continue reading →

Posted in attitude, choice, emotion, observation, pride, risk | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

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

Posted on 6 January 2012 by philosiblog

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

To know what people really think, pay regard to what they do, rather than what they say

Posted on 28 December 2011 by philosiblog

To know what people really think, pay regard to what they do, rather than what they say. – Descartes What does that mean? This quote reminds us that people will say things that they think you want to hear, or … Continue reading →

Posted in action, common sense, integrity, observation, setting an example, thinking | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

None are more taken in by flattery than the proud, who wish to be the first and are not

Posted on 14 December 2011 by philosiblog

None are more taken in by flattery than the proud, who wish to be the first and are not. – Baruch Spinoza What does that mean? This quote talks about flattery and why it works better on some people than on others. … Continue reading →

Posted in belief, emotion, ideals, moderation, observation, pride | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on None are more taken in by flattery than the proud, who wish to be the first and are not

However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results

Posted on 22 November 2011 by philosiblog

However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results. – Winston Churchill What does that mean? It means that you need to check your results regularly! Even the best laid plans, with all probable contingencies accounted for, can … Continue reading →

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If past history is all there was to the game, the richest people would be librarians

Posted on 8 November 2011 by philosiblog

If past history is all there was to the game, the richest people would be librarians. – Warren Buffett What does that mean? Like the disclaimer says, past performance is not an indicator of future returns. The person who said … Continue reading →

Posted in caution, education, gratitude, observation, personal growth, perspective | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others

Posted on 29 October 2011 by philosiblog

One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? While this quote is almost certainly about political change, and how a ruler might use this to their advantage, I believe … Continue reading →

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The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.

Posted on 22 October 2011 by philosiblog

The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? What kind of people does a leader surround themselves with? Is it a bunch … Continue reading →

Posted in character, discovery, governance, intelligence, leadership, observation | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.

Everyone can understand from natural experience and common sense that affection is crucial from the day of birth; it is the basis of life.

Posted on 18 September 2011 by philosiblog

Everyone can understand from natural experience and common sense that affection is crucial from the day of birth; it is the basis of life. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? This one seems straight forward enough. He says that affection, the … Continue reading →

Posted in affection, caring, chocolate, compassion, empathy, observation | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Everyone can understand from natural experience and common sense that affection is crucial from the day of birth; it is the basis of life.

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for.

Posted on 30 August 2011 by philosiblog

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for. – Socrates What does that mean? Everyone has experiences. Some write them down in a manner that is useful … Continue reading →

Posted in curious, discovery, education, observation, self improvement, sharing | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for.

If you only have a hammer…

Posted on 1 July 2011 by philosiblog

To the man who only has a hammer, everything he encounters begins to look like a nail. –Abraham Maslow Also seen : If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail. What does that mean? … Continue reading →

Posted in observation | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

With virtue you can’t be entirely poor; without virtue you can’t really be rich.

Posted on 28 April 2011 by philosiblog

With virtue you can’t be entirely poor; without virtue you can’t really be rich. –  Chinese Proverb What does that mean? Let’s start with a definition of virtue.  Virtue is defined by dictionary. reference. com as “moral excellence; goodness; righteousness.”  … Continue reading →

Posted in exceptionalism, observation, self resepct, self-esteem, self-image, virtue | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on With virtue you can’t be entirely poor; without virtue you can’t really be rich.

I hear & behold God in every object, yet understand God not in the least.

Posted on 21 April 2011 by philosiblog

I hear & behold God in every object, yet understand God not in the least. – Walt Whitman This is another of the Twitter friendly,  shortened quotes. The full quote goes like this: “I say to mankind, Be not curious … Continue reading →

Posted in beauty, contentment, happiness, observation, relaxation, wonder | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on I hear & behold God in every object, yet understand God not in the least.