Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn’t be done.

Posted on 24 July 2013 by philosiblog

Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn’t be done. – Amelia Earhart

The world wasn't always round, according to the ancient experts. But someone didn't listen, and sailed anyway.

The world wasn’t always round, according to the ancient experts. But someone didn’t listen, and sailed anyway. He didn’t let them interrupt what he was doing.

What does that mean?
I like this quote, because it reminds us that we do not know everything. I have seen this before, and it can be fun to watch, probably a little less fun for the participants.

We often are quite certain that something cannot be done because we have done the math. We have checked with the experts. We know the science behind the phenomenon, and it simply will not work.

Ask Christopher Columbus or the Wright Brothers. You couldn’t sail that far without falling off, said the experts. Heavier than air flight simply disobeyed the laws of physics, said the experts. These things simply couldn’t happen.

Yet, despite the experts, or in spite of them, these deeds were done. Experts were proven wrong again and again. Yes, sometimes they were right, but sometimes they were wrong. And that is what this quote is about. Being quiet when someone is doing what can’t be done.

Why is listening to your convictions important?  Continue reading →

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We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

Posted on 23 July 2013 by philosiblog

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. – Martin Luther King, Jr

They have learned to live together. Why can't we?

They have learned to live together. Why can’t we?

What does that mean?
This quote is about the totality of humanity. While it was spoken specifically about the racial divide then present in the United States of America, I believe it also applies to all of us.

For anyone who has had a brother or known someone who had a brother, you know that life isn’t always peaceful or calm. Yet the familial bond means something to most, and as brothers (or sisters), we tend to treat each-other reasonably well. That is what the quote asks of us, to learn to live together as brothers, as one big family.

The quote ends with the alternate way the human drama will play out. If we cannot live together as a family, we will perish together as fools. When we have the option of surviving or perishing, and choose to perish, that’s not very bright. When the stakes are all of humanity, choosing to perish is something well beyond foolish, wouldn’t you say?

Why is learning to live together important?  Continue reading →

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In real love you want the other person’s good. In romantic love you want the other person.

Posted on 22 July 2013 by philosiblog

In real love you want the other person’s good. In romantic love you want the other person. – Margaret Anderson

Do you love them to sate your own needs, or do you love them to satisfy their needs? Perhaps a little of each?

Do you love them to sate your own needs, or do you love them to satisfy their needs?

What does that mean?
To me, this quote is a classic description of selfless love compared to selfish love. Or to put it another way, it is about the difference between love and lust.

In real love, the quote says, your focus is on the good of the other person. Their happiness and their well being are your primary concerns. Your focus is outward, towards them, not inward towards yourself.

In romantic or selfish love, the quote says, your focus is on the other person. Not for their good, but for yours. Your pleasure, your needs, your desires, they come first. Any thought for them is based on what you can get from them.

Unfortunately, in English, both types of love are covered with the same word. You have to use extra words to qualify exactly what you mean. A simple statement like “I love you.” becomes ambiguous, and means whatever the person hearing the words thinks it means, regardless of the intentions of the speaker.

Why is real or selfless love important?  Continue reading →

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If we make consistent effort, based on proper education, we can change the world.

Posted on 21 July 2013 by philosiblog

If we make consistent effort, based on proper education, we can change the world. – Dalai Lama

Ducks for Change - a way to raise money for children's charities. What could you do, and do consistently?

Ducks for Change (see link at the bottom) – a way to raise money for children’s charities. What could you do, and do consistently to help change the world?

What does that mean?
This quote is about changing the world. Not just one person, but as all of us together. I presume that because the quote isn’t about you, or about me, but about us, based on the use of the pronoun ‘we’.

We need to start with proper education, it says. That makes sense, as an education will give us a foundation on which to build. But the education needs to be of helpfulness and love, right? An education of hate and anger just wouldn’t do, would it?

With our foundation laid, we then have to do something about it. Knowledge is a great thing, but not very useful. All the libraries full of books, and all the people who have read them matters little, if no one does anything.

The quote also states that for us to change the world, we can’t just pick one weekend (preferably one with good weather) and do something for a few hours on Saturday. We have to make consistent effort, if we are to change the world.

Why is consistent effort important?  Continue reading →

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A great mind becomes a great fortune.

Posted on 20 July 2013 by philosiblog

A great mind becomes a great fortune. – Seneca

Someone had a great idea, and now many of us can put most of our dishes in a machine to get them clean. Yes, there are still some which must be done by hand, but how fortunate are you that someone thought of a dishwasher?

Someone had a great idea, and now many of us can put most of our dishes in a machine to get them clean. Yes, there are still some which must be done by hand, but how fortunate do you consider yourself to be, that someone thought of a dishwasher?

What does that mean?
This is an excellent companion to a prior quote from Descartes, which is “It is not enough to have a good mind, the main thing is to use it well.” In that quote, the point was to make a great mind.

In this quote, we discuss what to do once you have a great mind, given that you know how to use it well. Some would, have, and continue to use their brains to make a great fortune in a monetary sense of the word.

For others, their great fortune is found elsewhere. Some find their fortune serving others, and finding ways to make the lives of others more comfortable, safe, or secure.

Some use their minds to gift to all of humanity, their fortune. The great works of art, be they poetry, literature or plays; sculpture, paintings or other forms of art; even architecture, the products of their mind has become our great fortune.

Why is using your mind important?  Continue reading →

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Such an amazing way to look at life: “Your enemy can be your best teacher” Dalai Lama. Perhaps we don’t have any enemies, just teachers!

Posted on 19 July 2013 by philosiblog

Such an amazing way to look at life: “Your enemy can be your best teacher” Dalai Lama. Perhaps we don’t have any enemies, just teachers! – Tony Robbins

Sometimes, even a friend can be a teacher.

Sometimes, even a friend can be a teacher.

What does that mean?
This is a popular paraphrasing of a Dalai Lama quote. The actual quote is: “In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.”

While I appreciate the broader application of the quote, let’s start with the base quote. To practice tolerance, one needs something against which to test oneself, right?

Can you test your tolerance doing things which do not annoy or irritate you? Can you practice being tolerant with people who are nice to you? In my opinion, the answer to both is a resounding “No.”

If you want to test yourself and your ability to be tolerant, you need an opponent, an antagonist, or, if you prefer, an enemy. You need someone who will truly test your abilities and sincerity.

Why is learning from experience important?  Continue reading →

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As the twig is bent the tree inclines.

Posted on 18 July 2013 by philosiblog

As the twig is bent the tree inclines. – Virgil

This tree looks like it had a rough time as a twig. Remind you of anyone? Unlike this poor tree, you can still change.

This tree looks like it had a rough time as a twig. Does it remind you of anyone? Unlike this poor tree, people can still change. What are you willing to change, and when will you start?

What does that mean?
This quote is about the path one takes in life. Lessons learned early, when we are but twigs, will impact our future, or how the tree inclines. Another way to look at it is in terms of trajectory.

Absent any wind, once you launch a rock or an arrow, it will fly on the course set at the beginning. The biggest changes in the path it follows will be set at the very beginning.

Even things with guidance, like airplanes or rockets, start out in a particular direction. The longer they go in one direction, the more difficult it is to change the ultimate destination.

Ultimately, this quote is about children, and how they are raised. If they are raised “correctly,” they will do well in their society. If they are allowed to misbehave from the beginning, it will be much harder to correct their behavior later in life.

Why is early correction important?  Continue reading →

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After all, tomorrow is another day.

Posted on 17 July 2013 by philosiblog

After all, tomorrow is another day. – Margaret Mitchell

It may not be Carnegie Hall, but she looks like she is having fun. On what dreams have you given up hope?

It may not be Carnegie Hall, but she looks like she is having fun. On what dreams have you given up any hope of completing? Are you still willing to try?

What does that mean?
The line, from her novel ‘Gone with the Wind,’ is spoken by Scarlet O’Hara.

While we never know how many days we have left, tomorrow is always going to be coming. This quote talks about tomorrow as a new opportunity, a new chance to start again.

That is something we forget about sometimes. Our path is not, in my opinion, fixed or pre-ordained. Neither is our trajectory. Just because things didn’t go well today, doesn’t mean it will be that way forever.

Even the best sports teams have losing streaks. Each game is a new chance. Each day gives us a new opportunity to excel. Each day gives us a new chance to break whatever losing streak we may feel we have.

Each day brings with it new opportunities and new ways to utilize them to our advantage, and the advantage of others. All it takes is this realization, and the gloom-and-doom can be banished, replaced with hope.

Why is hope important?  Continue reading →

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Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.

Posted on 16 July 2013 by philosiblog

Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Do you know what you want, and how to get it? Are you going to apply yourself and your knowledge? Are you willing to see it through? Are you ready to do it? Or are you just going to contemplate it?

Do you know what you want, and how to get it? Will you apply yourself and your knowledge? Will you see it through? Are you ready to do it? Or will you just contemplate it?

What does that mean?
Let’s see a show of hands, how many of you know what you have to do, and are willing to do what it takes to become wealthy, happy, loved, or any other thing you desire in your life?

Odds are most of us know at least the basics of what we need to do. Most of us are also willing to do it, at least in theory. The question is how many of us are willing to both apply that knowledge, and do what it takes?

That’s what the quote is all about. We know, but we do not apply that knowledge. We say we are willing, but we do not actually do what is necessary. That’s not the way to get things done, is it?

The quote reminds us that knowledge is but the first step. The same for willingness. If we want results, we must apply, and we must do. Anything less, and we are just planning. While that is a useful first step, it doesn’t get the job done.

Why is taking action important?  Continue reading →

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There is no remedy for love but to love more.

Posted on 15 July 2013 by philosiblog

There is no remedy for love but to love more. – Henry David Thoreau

Would you chose to never love again, if you knew the tides might wash it away? Or would you try again, and again?

Would you chose to never love again, if you knew the tides might wash it away? Or would you try again, and again, and risk the pain?

What does that mean?
This quote is about love. Deep and intense, possibly even romantic. While some might hide from love after a loss, this quote posits that the proper solution is more love.

A remedy for something is a way to fix something. A cold remedy helps you get over the miserable feeling brought about by a cold. A remedy for love would help you get over the miserable feeling brought about by the loss of love.

The fix, according to the quote, is to love more. Not hiding from it, not turning your back on it, but embracing it. Loving more, accepting, forgiving, and welcoming them back is the preferred response.

More love. It isn’t always the easiest response, or even the first one thinks of in these situations. However, I agree with the quote. It is the proper and best way to deal with the loss of love.

Why is even more love important?  Continue reading →

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It is expressions of affection rather than money and power that attract real friends.

Posted on 14 July 2013 by philosiblog

It is expressions of affection rather than money and power that attract real friends. – Dalai Lama

Are they really your friends, or do they just hang around because you throw great parties?

Are they really your friends, or do they just hang around because you throw great parties?

What does that mean?
People try all different ways to attract friends. The desire to be admired is strong within us all. This is the basis of friendship, the admiration of another.

How we go about attaining friends is a very personal choice. There are different paths to this goal, and different results based on the path taken. This quote is about two of the available paths.

The first path mentioned is affection, and the quote says that it results in real friends. The exchange of affection (non-romantic) is a solid base on which to build a friendship. Admiration is another word for this.

The other, less desirable, path is that of money and power. People with money or power are always surrounded by ‘friends.’ But these are friends of convenience and opportunity.

Their convenience, and the opportunities which being around you brings to them. They don’t care for you, other than how you make things happen for them. And that’s not a real friend, is it?

Why is true friendship important?  Continue reading →

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There is no person so severely punished, as those who subject themselves to the whip of their own remorse.

Posted on 13 July 2013 by philosiblog

There is no person so severely punished, as those who subject themselves to the whip of their own remorse. – Seneca

You know your conscience will keep after you for years and years if you follow the other path, right? Just look at her!

You know your conscience will keep after you for years and years if you follow the other path, right? I mean, just look at her! Is that really what you want?

What does that mean?
The first thing to acknowledge with this quote is that there are people to whom this does not apply. People with broken spirits or minds can do terrible things, and think nothing of it.

This quote is for, and about, the rest of us. How many of us still wish we hadn’t done something from decades ago, even back to our childhood? This continuing remorse is what the quote is about.

When we feel badly about something, perhaps a very minor infraction, we are acting out this particular quote. And it is something which people of conscience do on a fairly regular basis.

Even if we have been caught and punished, the remorse and recriminations remain. Eventually, they fade with time, but enough remain to help guide us into the future in an appropriate manner.

Why is listening to your conscience important?  Continue reading →

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To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing.

Posted on 12 July 2013 by philosiblog

To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing. – Elbert Hubbard often misattributed to Aristotle

Many people criticized the Wright brothers. Many had tried, all had failed. But the brothers considered the sources, double checked their math, and did something.

Many people criticized the Wright brothers. Many had tried, all had failed. But the brothers considered the sources, double checked their math, and did something.

What does that mean?
This quote is often misattributed to Aristotle, but is actually by writer Elbert Hubbard, from his book “John North Willys” : “Do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing, and you’ll never be criticized.“

This is the way of the world. There will always be those who criticize. Too much or too little, they will never be satisfied. Sometimes, even your friends get in on the action. But they only have your best interests at heart, of course.

There is a way to avoid criticism, of course. Hide from the critics. Do nothing to cause them to notice you. Don’t do anything. Don’t say anything. Don’t be anything that might cause them to go off on you. That just doesn’t sound like much of a life, does it?

Why is learning to accept, or ignore, criticism important?  Continue reading →

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If you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree.

Posted on 11 July 2013 by philosiblog

If you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree. – Jim Rohn

Even a tree doesn't just stand there and complain! Look at what this one did to the sidewalk!

Even a tree doesn’t just stand there and complain! Just look at what this one did to the sidewalk! You can certainly do better than that, can’t you?

What does that mean?
To me, this quote is about action. It reminds us that we can stand there and do nothing, or we can try to change things. What do you tend to do when things are not how you would like them to be?

And even then, the quote isn’t exactly correct. Trees change the ground they are in. Have you seen a sidewalk cracked and buckled from tree roots beneath it? Driveways and building foundations, as well as rocks, boulders, even mountains have been moved by trees.

Those who complain are actually doing less than a tree, right? They aren’t even making oxygen for us to breathe, their complaints actually cost us precious oxygen. Long live the trees, movers of buildings and sidewalks, and producers of oxygen! You go, tree!

Why is taking action in our own lives important?  Continue reading →

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A man’s character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.

Posted on 10 July 2013 by philosiblog

A man’s character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation. – Mark Twain

What does your favorite adjective say about you? Perhaps you need a new adjective or two?

What does your favorite adjective say about you? Perhaps you need a new one?

What does that mean?
While this quote shows up on many quote sites, I couldn’t find a definitive source for the quote, so it’s probably one of the “Twain-isms” floating around the internet. Even so, it’s an interesting quote, so I’ll examine it.

Adjectives are the words which modify nouns, which includes people, places, and things. Besides the usual ‘universal’ adjectives (swear words), the words used to modify or further describe a noun can reflect on the speaker.

Is everything gnarly, dude? What does that say about you, besides you’re from Southern California, and still stuck in the 1980’s? What character attributes would you imagine such a person would have?

What about people who tend to use diminishing or negative modifiers? What about people who use modifiers which emphasize their importance? Even more so if they also diminish the importance of others, right?

The patterns we use in our speech exist to help us get ideas and feelings out of our mouths. If we habitually think or feel a particular way, our mind develops patterns. And our mouths follow suit. And that could be a bit more revealing than you might like.

Why is minding what we say important?  Continue reading →

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