The best revenge is to be unlike the one who performed the injustice.

Posted on 14 March 2016 by philosiblog

The best revenge is to be unlike the one who performed the injustice. – Marcus Aurelius

injustice

Children are naturally happy and relatively just. At least until they start paying attention to the adults…

What does that mean?
This quote is translated in many forms, including “The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.” which is very close to what my paper copy of Meditations says.

This is something you have probably heard said to you hundreds of times growing up. Whether it was “don’t get in the mud with the pigs” or some other colorful way, the point is the same.

If they do something to you, do not lower yourself to their level and retaliate. Take the high road, show dignity and class. Be the better person.

Note that the quote doesn’t say the most satisfying action, but the best revenge or response. It can be hard to resist, but it becomes easier with practice.

Why is not repeating injustice important? Continue reading →

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To you all you have appears small; to me all I have appears great.

Posted on 10 March 2016 by philosiblog

To you all you have appears small; to me all I have appears great. – Epictetus

desire

She is showing restraint of her desire. She may not have them all, but she has more than I do. That’s OK.

What does that mean?
This is an interesting quote, as he was born a Roman slave. He learned from an early age that he would not be permitted nice things nor would he have abundance.

Rather than become bitter, he learned to curb his appetite and appreciate what little he had. And that is what he considers the best and most proper course of action.

While others around him, slave and master alike, complained about their lot in live, he filled his world with what he had.

To make his point, the quote continues about a child trying to get a fist full of things out of a narrow necked jar. If the fist is too full, you can’t get any out.

Why is letting go of desire important? Continue reading →

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The higher our position the more modestly we should behave.

Posted on 7 March 2016 by philosiblog

The higher our position the more modestly we should behave. – Cicero

Modestly

This is the guy who said the quote, King Philip II of Macedonia. His son Alex might not have listened…

What does that mean?
This was an interesting quote to source, as it had variant wording. And while attributed to Cicero, he claims it was said by King Philip of Macedonia (Alexander the Great’s father).

The difference is probably due to translation, but both of the quotes urge us to be careful with our power and influence. The more we have, the more care we should take.

The quotes specify behaving modestly and walking humbly. Both are urging us to avoid being rash, brash or full of ourselves. It emphasizes restraint.

Those with power who are willing to wield it at whim, without humility or modesty, are truly to be feared. This quote urges us not to be such a beast.

Why is behaving modestly important? Continue reading →

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Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.

Posted on 3 March 2016 by philosiblog

Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow. – Swedish Proverb

worry

Tax Time approaches where I live. How scary is it for you? How scary should you let it be? Quit worrying.

What does that mean?
This quote is, in case you hadn’t figured it out yet, about worry and the troubles which can come from it. It is one of the smallest forms of fear.

Small things can often have disproportionately large shadows. Shadows are, in this quote, representative of all the scary things in our lives.

But most of the actual things we fear are really small things. Small things which appear larger than they actually are, due to the size of their shadow.

If we can learn to manage our worry, our fear, our trepidation, we can better face these small things and their oversized shadows.

Why is letting go of worry important? Continue reading →

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A fall into a ditch makes you wiser.

Posted on 29 February 2016 by philosiblog

A fall into a ditch makes you wiser. – Chinese Proverb

wiser

Jumped a ditch this wide before? Speed good? Jump clean and high? Or will you learn from falling in?

What does that mean?
At first you don’t know what a ditch is. Then you fall in. Now you know. You are now wiser, and know to avoid falling into ditches, whenever possible.

Life is like that, test first, then the lesson. So the next step of wisdom is to anticipate possible outcomes and extrapolate from known data.

If a ditch is bad, is a cliff likely be better or worse? Once you can extrapolate from your own experiences, it’s time to start learning from the mistakes of others.

If you read about someone falling in a ditch, or hear someone tell the story of someone who did, hopefully you know to not do the same thing, or at least to take precautions.

Why is becoming wiser important? Continue reading →

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Silence is safer than speech.

Posted on 25 February 2016 by philosiblog

Silence is safer than speech. – Epictetus

speech

Do they need silence or speech? Do your best to help. Silence will usually get you in less trouble.

What does that mean?
The longer version of the quote says “Silence is safer than speech; refrain from saying what shall be void of sense and open to blame.”

Speaking when no speech is necessary or useful leads to saying things which are not always very bright, or as the quote puts it, “void of sense,” which isn’t usually a desirable thing to do.

And such speech leaves one open to blame in the process, which is an even less desirable state of affairs. Consider the possibility of saying something you shouldn’t, just to say something. How will that end?

Or making something up, just to fill time. Does that ever end well? Not in my experience. In short, when you have something to say, speak up. If not, hold your tongue.

Why are speaking and silence both important? Continue reading →

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You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.

Posted on 22 February 2016 by philosiblog

You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say. – Martin Luther

what would you say?

Your friend has a drinking problem. what would you say? How long would you wait to say it? Too late?

What does that mean?
Most of us are pretty clear on the idea that we are responsible for our own words, and that what we say, we own. The classic example is yelling FIRE in a theater. If there is one, you say it and are responsible for helping people out.

But the second half is not as commonly considered. What if there was a fire in that theater, and you chose to remain silent? You are also responsible for your silence, for what you failed to say.

Not speaking when wrong is being done is not that much different than helping those doing wrong in the first place. If you can’t convince them to stop doing wrong, you then should at least warn others, that they may prepare to stop them.

Why is what you say important? Continue reading →

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Success and rest don’t sleep together.

Posted on 18 February 2016 by philosiblog

Success and rest don’t sleep together. – Russian Proverb

success

Success. How do you define it in all the different parts of your life? Have you written yours down yet?

What does that mean?
When we think of successful people, we often think of their lives of leisure. The act of achieving success gives one the chance to relax and take it easy.

But how true is that, really? How many ‘successful’ people do you see resting? They might take a fantastic, and long, vacation from time to time, but then what?

Whether it’s Hollywood stars, business tycoons or famous authors, they go back to it, whatever their ‘it’ may be. They might even change it up and try something new.

But you won’t find them resting for very long. Success may sleep from time to time, but it rarely rests. Objects in motion compared to objects at rest. Which is which, do you think?

Why is working towards success important? Continue reading →

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Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone – we find it with another.

Posted on 15 February 2016 by philosiblog

Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone – we find it with another. – Thomas Merton

love

Love comes in many forms. Friends, family, others, a partner. Don’t lose the others in search of the one.

What does that mean?
It’s that time of year again. Valentine’s Day. Those who have someone rejoice that fact and those who do not lament it.

But that’s not the point of this quote, at least as I understand it. Yes, this quote talks of love being our destiny. But remember that it comes in many forms.

In the longer version of the quote (available by clicking on the link at the bottom of the post) it includes both other people, and with the divine. I would extend it to ideals as well.

Love is not a solitary endeavor, even if we are alone. When we have love for others, in general or in specific, or even of an ideal, we are joined with it. And in that joining comes the understanding of love.

Why is finding love important? Continue reading →

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Identify your problems but give your power and energy to solutions.

Posted on 11 February 2016 by philosiblog

Identify your problems but give your power and energy to solutions. – Tony Robbins

problem

It’s snowing, streets are slick, and it takes extra effort and time to move the food. Caterer has problems.

What does that mean?
Everybody has problems. That’s a fact. Some problems are tougher than others, others are easy. Some are worse to have, and some problems are not so bad.

But identifying that you have a problem is only the very first step in taking are of it. All you have at this point is something about which you can complain. Loudly and frequently.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what far too many people do. They identify what’s wrong, and then complain about it, expecting someone else to take care of it for them.

That’s where the second half of the quote comes in. Don’t put your effort into complaining, put it into finding and then implementing a solution.

Why is dealing with our problems important? Continue reading →

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Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.

Posted on 8 February 2016 by philosiblog

Time is what we want most, but what we use worst. – William Penn

time flies

Tempus Fugit, Latin for Time Flies. How will you manage the time you have left, or will it slip away?

What does that mean?
Time. You never know how much you have, but yet we still waste it. There are only so many hours in each week, yet still we waste several of them.

Time is something we cannot get back, yet we still spend our hours as if they were free. And that seems to be the central problem of humanity.

We know what time is, she know how precious it is (at least in retrospect), but we have such great difficulty treating it with value and respect in the present.

We mourn for time’s passing, but do not respect it in the present. We want it back after it is gone, but ignore it when it is here. We do not properly value it.

Why is valuing time important? Continue reading →

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We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is “good,” because it is good, if “bad” because it works in us patience, humility, and hope.

Posted on 4 February 2016 by philosiblog

We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is “good,” because it is good, if “bad” because it works in us patience, humility, & hope. – C. S. Lewis

When crossing the American Plains, when you broke the wagon wheel, that's where you settled down.

In the American West, when your wagon wheel broke, that’s where you settled. Fortune: good or bad?

What does that mean?
This quote is a great example of finding the silver lining in any situation. Far too many people live in a feast-or-famine lifestyle, and this quote offers them a way out.

Be glad if things go your way, but if not, then what? Instead of getting what you want, you get a learning experience. You get a chance to work on patience, humility and hope.

Not everything goes your way, so what do you do then? And do you think you could manage to learn a few things even from fortune which you label ‘good’? It’s an interesting idea and a logical extension to the quote.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the letter which this is from to get a better grasp of the context, but it is still an interesting quote.

Why is celebrating all fortune important? Continue reading →

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When anger enters the mind, wisdom departs.

Posted on 1 February 2016 by philosiblog

When anger enters the mind, wisdom departs – Thomas à Kempis

When we become angry, and we act on that anger, the consequences can be most dire.

When we become angry, and act on that anger, the consequences can be most dire. Use wisdom instead.

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 rather quickly, on the path to excess far too often.

That is the warning of the quote. Once anger gets into your mind, it quickly pushes logic, reason, compassion, mercy and all forms of wisdom out. That’s just how it tends to work when you are angry.

Anger is a cruel and unforgiving mistress. It brooks no competition, no rivals, no alternatives. Everything else is pushed out after it arrives, or had already fled as anger enters.

The quote finishes by reminding us that for wisdom to remain, anger must not be given admittance to the mind. And I imagine we can agree that having a mind full of wisdom is more desirable than one filled with anger.

Why is avoiding anger important? Continue reading →

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Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.

Posted on 28 January 2016 by philosiblog

Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet. – Jean-Jacques Rousseau

patience

Ooooh, cookie, I can’t wait, I must eat it now! / But will taste better after it’s baked. / But I want it now!

What does that mean?
This quote starts describing patience, and assigning it a flavor. A very strong and not very pleasant flavor. A flavor to which we can relate.

Bitter, in tiny amounts, can provide contrast, but it isn’t usually something you would want regularly. But, in the context of the quote, it has a reward.

By enduring the bitter, we are to be rewarded with a fruit which is sweet. What exactly it is depends on what we are being patient, and how patient we are.

By waiting, delaying, and anticipating, we build a tension. By waiting, we can allow things to develop into something sweet. Most fruit, before they are ripe, are bitter, which helps anchor the quote in our minds and mouths.

Why is patience important? Continue reading →

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No new post tonight.

Posted on 25 January 2016 by philosiblog

Sorry, but it has been a busy week, and I did not adequately prepare myself. I’ll be back on Wednesday.

In the mean time, please feel free to visit some of my prior posts, or use the search box near the top of the right column to look for some of your favorite quotes or authors.

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