You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf.

Posted on 21 January 2016 by philosiblog

You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf. – Jon Kabat-Zinn

Start small, and be patient. Don't fight the wave, ride it. Get back up and do it again. Make it a habit.

Start small, and be patient. Don’t fight the wave, ride it. Get back up and do it again. Make it a habit.

What does that mean?
Waves are unstoppable. They are a force of nature. They may change heights and intensity, but still they come. We can brace against them, but they are as unstoppable as anything on this Earth.

However, while we cannot stop them, we can learn to tame and even enjoy them. It doesn’t make the waves smaller or less dangerous, but it does make them a little less scary, and a lot more fun.

This quote, to me, is about worrying a little less about the things we have little control over, and learning to have a little more fun with them instead.

Yes, they are still dangerous, and we need to respect their power, but fighting them will gain us little and cost us much. While we must do what we can, we should do no more, except enjoy them.

Why is learning to ride the waves important? Continue reading →

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Life is painting a picture, not doing a sum.

Posted on 18 January 2016 by philosiblog

Life is painting a picture, not doing a sum. – Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

How does the painting make you feel? Would it be different if you had painted it? Or taken a photo?

How does the painting make you feel? Would it be different if you had painted it? Or taken a photo?

What does that mean?
Note that this is not an attempt to diminish those who are into math, but to encourage them to try something with some soul and deeper feeling, in this case, painting.

The metaphor of painting a picture has a number of points, including being very emotionally involved in the creation of the art, and the investment in it which the effort and time produce.

The metaphor of doing a sum is simply to add up a series of numbers. It might prove useful, and it might even provide your salary, but it, at least back in the day, was a rather unemotional activity.

In short, the quote is encouraging us to invest some of our time, energy and effort into something which breathes life into our existence, in addition to whatever you choose to do with your life.

Why is painting a picture important? Continue reading →

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What does it mean to be slandered? Stand by a stone and slander it. If a man listens like a stone, what effect has the slanderer?

Posted on 14 January 2016 by philosiblog

What does it mean to be slandered? Stand by a stone and slander it. If a man listens like a stone, what effect has the slanderer? – Epictetus

Cat does not acknowledge your slander. Thinks you make funny noises, and laughs.

The Cat does not acknowledge your slander. It thinks you make funny noises, and quietly laughs inside.

What does that mean?
This quote is part of a longer discussion regarding why people do seemingly senseless things, specifically to squeeze into a play to get a good seat by the rich and powerful.

The generic response is to not do such a silly thing. If you don’t go to see the play, you will not have to brave the crowd and risk being crushed by all the people there.

The specific portion in the quote is regarding the same idea. If we do not do the silly thing, we cannot be hurt by the consequences of doing it. Instead of a crowd at a theater, the quote is about an insult.

It says if we are like a stone, the slander means nothing to us. Only if we have a weakness can the slander cause us harm. If we refuse this weakness, the slanderer has no hold over us.

Why is not being bothered by slander important? Continue reading →

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To the wise, life is a problem; to the fool, a solution.

Posted on 11 January 2016 by philosiblog

To the wise, life is a problem; to the fool, a solution. – Marcus Aurelius

Problems, or challenges, come in all forms. This looks like a mental challenge.

Problems, or challenges, come in all forms. This looks like a mental challenge. What kind do you prefer?

What does that mean?
To me, and my understanding of Stoicism, a closer translation of problem might well be puzzle or challenge. Stoics take the world as it is, and try to deal with it with the minimum fuss.

Life, therefore, is a challenge, a puzzle, a problem to be solved in a simple, logical, and (hopefully) effortless manner. To the fool, it simply is, and not in need of a solution.

While that kind of laid back lifestyle has its appeal, there are times when it is not a sufficient method for living. Being able to recognize that it’s time to deal with a problem is part of being wise.

Taken together, we can lead a very full and fulfilling life. Knowing when to take it easy and when to focus on solutions to what life has placed before us is part of living and becoming wise.

Why is having a problem important? Continue reading →

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Indeed, man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossible.

Posted on 7 January 2016 by philosiblog

Indeed, man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossible. – Saint Augustine

Why do birds sing? Is it for the fame or the money?

Do birds sing for the fame or for the money? Or are they happy within themselves and share it with all?

What does that mean?
What is it with us, that we pursue happiness in so many of the wrong ways? To be happy should be easy, simple and not even remotely confusing. Yet somehow, we manage to make a mess of it.

That is what the quote is saying. Even when we do everything wrong and make being happy impossible, we still wish to be happy. Unfortunately, such a situation usually results in misery.

But still we strive for happiness. And as long as we strive, we can eventually find a way to attain happiness.

As usual ladies, don’t feel left out due to the arcane phrasing, or change it in your mind to mankind or humankind. We are all equally susceptible to this sad state of affairs

Why is being happy important? Continue reading →

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Most men seem to live according to sense rather than reason.

Posted on 4 January 2016 by philosiblog

Most men seem to live according to sense rather than reason. – Saint Thomas Aquinas

If the next morning, sunglasses aren't enough, perhaps you partied too hard on a work night?

Reason says if sunglasses aren’t enough the next morning, perhaps you partied too hard on a work night?

What does that mean?
To me, this quote is about the difference between sense (sensations), and reason (logic). Living according to sense is about feelings, and the sensations which provide pleasure.

This is, according to the quote’s observation of the state of humanity in the mid-1200s, more the rule than the exception. From my observations, it doesn’t seem to have improved much.

Logic or reason is the other way to help one make decisions. Instead of choosing what feels best or provides the best sensation, we choose what makes the most sense, according to the facts available.

Not a popular guy with the party crowd, I’m sure, but it does seem a slightly better regulated life. Yes, there’s a time to cut loose, but not all the time, right?

Why is reason important? Continue reading →

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2015 in review

Posted on 2 January 2016 by philosiblog

It was another great year, with the highlight being nearly 1.5 views. Thanks for taking the time to stopping by!

Here’s an excerpt from this year’s report:

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 1,500,000 times in 2015. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 64 days for that many people to see it.

The busiest day of the year was September 15th with 5,550 views. The most popular post that day was If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, its yours forever. If it doesn’t, then it was never meant to be.

To view the full report (this year, provided by JetPack), click here…

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Never go to excess, but let moderation be your guide.

Posted on 28 December 2015 by philosiblog

Never go to excess, but let moderation be your guide. – Cicero

An excess of sweets is another weakness of mine. One handful at a time works for me.

An excess of sweets is another weakness of mine. One handful at a time works for me. What about you?

What does that mean?
Excess is often synonymous with too much of something. But you can also have an excess of caution, or in other words, you can also have too little of something.

The quote asks us to consider a middle path, somewhere between the extremes of too much and too little. Whether it’s food, drink, work or play, we can have too much as well as too little.

While the quote is old, and shows up (in variations) in Greek, Roman, and Eastern philosophies, it is still applicable in the modern era, in my opinion.

Why is avoiding excess important? Continue reading →

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In order to escape from your comfort zone you have to escape the mindset that you led you there.

Posted on 24 December 2015 by philosiblog

In order to escape from your comfort zone you have to escape the mindset that you led you there. – Cornell Thomas

That's a great start, but you're going to need a bigger hole for you and your friends to escape.

It’s a great start, but you’re going to need a bigger hole for you and your friends to escape that mindset.

What does that mean?
This quote urges us to consider our comfort zone, and to consider making the effort necessary to escape from its warm embrace.

We are where we are because of our mindset, of what we think is possible and not possible. These assumptions, presumptions and presuppositions are the bars of our own prison.

This prison is our comfort zone. Within it, there is little growth, and there is always the possibility of decay and stagnation. To break free, we have to remove the bars which hold us back, to escape that mindset.

Why is escape from our limiting mindset important? Continue reading →

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What is permissible is not always honorable.

Posted on 21 December 2015 by philosiblog

What is permissible is not always honorable. – Cicero

What does the law say you should do? What do you actually do? What are the consequences?

What does the law say you should do? What do you actually do? What are the consequences of doing it?

What does that mean?
As many large societies are based on laws, we tend to focus on what is permissible and what is proscribed, without much thought in regards to why.

Yet all groups within any society have things they adhere to because of their beliefs and values regarding what is proper and what is honorable.

This can lead to a conflict between what is or is not permitted, and what is considered proper or improper, honorable or less than honorable.

This quote is a reminder to ourselves that just because we are allowed to do something does not make that thing right or honorable.

Why is doing the honorable thing important? Continue reading →

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If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.

Posted on 17 December 2015 by philosiblog

If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster. – Stephen Covey

"Is the ladder tall enough?" asked the manager. "Is it on the right wall?" asked the leader.

“Is the ladder tall enough?” asked the manager. “Is it on the right wall?” asked the leader. Which are you?

What does that mean?
This quote comes from the difference between management and leadership. A leader has the vision to see the ladder is leaned up against the wrong wall.

If we just manage the task at hand, we may become very busy people, and get a lot done. But without checking what wall we’re leaned against, climbing the ladder just gets us up the wrong wall faster.

Management gets us up the ladder, but leadership comes from the people who can step back and look at how we are approaching our goals.

If the ladder is on the right wall, all is good. If not, a leader will call for a stop-work and get the ladder re-positioned.

Why is the right wall important? Continue reading →

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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.

Posted on 14 December 2015 by philosiblog

Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth. – Marcus Aurelius

"But I saw a giant almost stomp a car into nothing!" Really? Or was it perspective, not truth?

“But I saw a giant almost stomp a car into nothing!” Really? Or was what we saw perspective, not truth?

What does that mean?
The quote urges us to consider that what others say is their opinion, not fact. It may be a respected and well informed opinion, but still it is an opinion.

Similarly, the quote urges us to remember that our eyes do deceive us, and that not all we see is what truly is. Our minds often fill in details that may not actually be there.

Everything we see and hear are filtered by our thoughts and ideas. We are not the best at being accurate. But if we understand our weakness and our failings, we can allow for these errors.

By understanding what is going on, we can be more accurate and more precise in our descriptions of what we heard and saw, and not pretend to be infallible.

Why is everything we hear and see important? Continue reading →

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There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now.

Posted on 10 December 2015 by philosiblog

There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. – Hugh Laurie

Does she look like she feels ready? But is she ready enough to go? Looks like it. There is only now.

Does she look like she feels ready? But is she ready enough to go? It looks that way. There is only now.

What does that mean?
This is a very short version of a longer (but still abbreviated) quote: “It’s a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you’re ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There’s almost no such thing as ready. There’s only now. And you may as well do it now.” See his Facebook post (link at bottom of post) for full quote.

This quote is a departure from the more usual philosophers, but I felt it when I read it, as I am in a not-so-ready place myself.

It also urges against my usual failing, paralysis by analysis. I often refuse to take action until I feel ready. This quote reminds us that we rarely reach that point, and if we wait, we may lose the opportunity, but always lose time.

Why is not being ready important? Continue reading →

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Everybody should do at least two things each day that he hates to do, just for practice.

Posted on 7 December 2015 by philosiblog

Everybody should do at least two things each day that he hates to do, just for practice. – William James

It may be a while before they are ready to change a diaper, but with practice, they will improve.

It may be a while before they are ready to change a diaper, but with practice, their technique will improve.

What does that mean?
This is a paraphrasing of a longer quote, wherein we are urged to practice doing things we would rather not do, so that in an emergency, we are better prepared to deal with unpleasant or difficult tasks.

While the actual passage doesn’t use the word ‘hate’, but uses instead ‘would rather not do’ which encompasses so much larger a variety of tasks.

What he has posited is that by doing things we don’t really want to do, we practice doing unpleasant tasks in general, which could become critical when things take a sudden turn for the worst.

This is the practice referenced in the quote, and whether it’s cleaning the bathroom or doing chores quickly and efficiently, you get good at doing what is necessary, even if it is unpleasant.

Why is practice important? Continue reading →

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My mind is an infinity of possibilities. This can be good or bad, but the choice is mine.

Posted on 3 December 2015 by philosiblog

My mind is an infinity of possibilities. This can be good or bad, but the choice is mine. – Marcus Aurelius

You have a choice. To stand there and not choose is still a choice. What will you do?

Which way will you go? What choice will you make? To stand there and not choose is still a choice.

What does that mean?
While this quote is a bit of a paraphrasing of a very large paragraph, it still has some power to it.

In the paragraph, he speaks of both the soul and the universe, and how there are choices among the extents of infinity. The translation implies the soul and the mind are the same.

He also talks about how we make our own choices in life, and how those choices are important, as is the consideration and analysis which goes into making the choice.

These choices can be right, which includes love, truth, modesty and placing proper value on things. This implies that there are other choices, which are not as proper or as right, thus bad.

Why is choice important? Continue reading →

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