He who does not prevent a crime when he can, encourages it.

Posted on 1 December 2012 by philosiblog

He who does not prevent a crime when he can, encourages it. – Seneca

What are you willing to do to help stop a crime or help solve it afterwards?

What are you willing to do to help stop a crime or help solve it afterwards? If you aren’t against the criminals, are you for them?

What does that mean?
This is the classic lesson from the origin of Spider Man. Whether from the comics or from the movies, Peter Parker (aka Spider Man) has the opportunity to stop a crime, but decides not to interfere. A short time thereafter, his uncle is shot and killed by the same thug.

That’s kind of harsh, but it is one of the ways the character of Peter / Spider Man is given his drive to fight crime whenever possible. But is makes it very clear that some people repeat their crimes over and over, until they are finally stopped.

The term for not stopping someone from doing something is “tacit approval” or saying that you don’t care enough to stop them. Whether from fear or apathy, the end result is the same. They do it, and you do not stop them. You have encouraged them. That’s not a good thing.

Why is daring to stand up to criminals important?

Continue reading →

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I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.

Posted on 30 November 2012 by philosiblog

I never dreamed about success. I worked for it. – Estée Lauder

For success in physical fitness, I plan to finish a 5K early next year.

As a measure of success in physical fitness, I plan to finish a 5K early next year. What about you, how do you plan to achieve success in each aspect of your life?

What does that mean?
This quote goes to the heart of the definition of ‘dream.’ To some, a dream is more a fantasy, something you engage in when you don’t have anything better to do, or don’t want to think about what you should be doing. To them, dreaming is the opposite of doing, right?

In today’s quote, this definition of the word dream seems to be about a perfect fit. Perhaps using the phrase ‘day-dream’ in the quote would be a bit more precise and a bit less ambiguous. “I never day-dreamed about success. I worked for it.” That has a more solid ring to it, doesn’t it?

The ambiguity comes from all the quotes where dreaming is the big build up in the mind of all the things that will soon be done. It’s the purpose, the big picture, the motivation for the project. That is the good kind of dream, and most definitely not the dream about which this quote is based.

Why is taking action important?  Continue reading →

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I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.

Posted on 29 November 2012 by philosiblog

I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship. – Louisa May Alcott

Learning how to sail. Just a little more of a breeze, and they’re set!

What does that mean?
Think about that for a moment. On a calm, sunny day, there is little wind, often barely a breeze. How do you make a sailing ship do anything with little to no wind? And for a beginner, such calm seas are largely a frustrating waste of time. Better there be a hint of a coming storm to get the breeze started.

What a beginner, someone who is just learning how to sail their ship, needs is a reasonably strong wind. That’s what storms provide as they approach. When a storm is approaching, however, is when most people begin to panic.

While in the height of a storm, sailing will be less smooth, and dangers abound, a light squall is a great time to sharpen skills and to practice your ability to manage your systems and yourself. In short, it’s a great time to learn, if you can handle the conditions, which is precisely what the author is saying in the quote.

Why are challenges important?  Continue reading →

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If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine.

Posted on 28 November 2012 by philosiblog

If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine. – Morris West

No matter how nice the shelter may be, to play in the sunlight, you have to go outside. You can stay here, for a little while: http://www.beckhamcavelodge.com/

What does that mean?
To me, this quote is saying that if you spend your whole life hunkered in the bunker, you’re going to miss the sunshine and all the good times. Yes, you need to have a shelter from the storms of life. Yes, you need to prepare and be prepared. Yes, you will want to be there when the storms are raging.

However, that doesn’t mean you live there all the time. Keep an eye on the forecast, and be ready, but enjoy what life has to offer between the storms. Otherwise, you’re likely to have a less than fulfilling life, and no one wants that, right?

At least in my life, the storms are but a small portion of my life. Yes, I’ve spent time in the bunker, but I try to spend most of my time enjoying the sunshine. Yes, I get rained on a little every now and then, but I somehow, I manage to survive. How about you?

Why is a little optimism important?  Continue reading →

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If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.

Posted on 27 November 2012 by philosiblog

If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of. – Bruce Lee

What are you doing with your time? Are you loving it, or wasting it?

What does that mean?

Time, it just keeps on ticking away. You will never know exactly when your time will be all used up. Even the great or famous people, like the author of today’s quote, never know when their time is up. Wasting time is wasting your life. You just never know when you will be out of time.

Our lives are made of moments. Most are fairly normal, but many are special. If we take time to make each moment a little more special, and some of them a lot more special, you begin to see why wasting time is wasting some of the best moments of our lives.

If we manage our time, keep the waste to a minimum and work at making the most of what time we have, we enrich our lives. By extension, we also enrich the lives of the others with whom we share our time. When we love life, we live it to the fullest, and waste as little as possible.

Why is not wasting time important?  Continue reading →

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WOO HOO! 200,000 view!

Posted on 27 November 2012 by philosiblog

Thanks people! Within the last five min or so, I got to the 200,000 view mark. Three months ago, we were at 100,000 views. Thanks you so much for visiting!

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No one knows what he can do till he tries.

Posted on 26 November 2012 by philosiblog

No one knows what he can do till he tries. – Publilius Syrus

Can you dive off the diving board? How will you know if you don’t try?

What does that mean?
That is an interesting observation. It’s so true, but I had never thought about it in that manner before. How do you know what you can do? You do it. You either succeed, or you fail. Now you know.

It helps to remember that failure isn’t permanent, that you can learn from what went wrong, and make it better next time, eventually paving the way for success, for actually doing what it is you set out to accomplish.

The question is “Are you willing to undertake the endeavor?” I, like Yoda, dislike the word ‘try’ as I see it as having the connotation that you’ll kinda sorta put some effort in and see what happens. If it is worth doing, do it, don’t just kinda sorta try. Right?

Of course, there is always the chance that you will succeed, and surprise yourself (among others). It has been known to happen on occasion. But until you undertake the attempt, you will not know if you can. It is the test that proves you can, or that you cannot.

Why is effort important?  Continue reading →

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Understanding the advantages and drawbacks of particular emotions and applying our intelligence, we can transform our minds.

Posted on 25 November 2012 by philosiblog

Understanding the advantages and drawbacks of particular emotions and applying our intelligence, we can transform our minds. – Dalai Lama

What is this emotion? Frustration? What are the drawbacks, and what emotion might be a better tool to use in this situation?

What does that mean?
This is about the balance of each emotion. No one emotion is perfect, nor are there any emotions which come without drawbacks. Conversely, none of the emotions are completely without use, nor are any so flawed as to be wholly without use. Like tools in a toolbox, each has a purpose, a task for which it is suited. And there are tasks for which it is not well suited at all.

No tool is evil or bad. The task it is set to, or the person wielding it might be, but the tool simply exists. Each emotion has it’s place, each has strengths and weaknesses, advantages and drawbacks. By knowing each, and knowing yourself, you can chose the best tool for the occasion.

We can use them to assist us in the world outside, and we can use them to change our mental landscape. If we can change habitual use of certain emotions, we can change how we perceive the world, and what tools we chose to use. In this manner, we transform our minds.

Why is perspective important?  Continue reading →

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There is a noble manner of being poor, and who does not know it will never be rich.

Posted on 24 November 2012 by philosiblog

There is a noble manner of being poor, and who does not know it will never be rich. – Seneca

Does every night have to be a fancy dinner party, or can you take some time to relax. That’s what the ‘simple folk’ do. to quote Camelot.

What does that mean?
This quote implies that there is something about people that makes them rich or poor besides their worldly possessions, or lack thereof. It says that there is something noble about being poor. That doesn’t sound pleasant, but I believe he is speaking about the quiet dignity of the working class.

In years past, they were called laborers, blue collars, or even working stiffs. You may know of other terms particular to your local customs. Basically, they were people who had enough to survive, but not enough to be fancy. And they were fine with that. Yes, they might want more, but they didn’t need more, and they knew the difference.

The flip side are the rich snobs. They are the people born with a silver spoon in their mouth, members of the lucky sperm club, or other less kind terms. They are people who have never known want or need. They are unable to relate to hardship. They are the embodiment of the “If there is no bread, then let them eat cake!” mentality.

Note that not all who are wealthy are snobs, just as not all who are poor are noble. However, it is far harder to gain that nobility without knowing want and need. And without the ability to have appreciation and show thankfulness for the smallest of things, a rich life will always be just beyond your grasp, no matter how large your bank balance.

Why is gratefulness important?  Continue reading →

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The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.

Posted on 23 November 2012 by philosiblog

The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails. – John Maxwell, also attributed to William Arthur Ward

Are you sitting there complaining about the wind, waiting for it to change, or are you a leader, busy adjusting the sails?

What does that mean?
This is a fun quote, because it breaks the usual dichotomy of the glass is half full, glass is half empty paradigm. It adds a third choice to the mix. In this case, the ‘half empty’ complains. The ‘half full’ anticipates a better future. The third group does something about the situation.

While this is an example specific to sailing a ship, I believe it can be applied to our lives in general. You can complain, you can wait for things to get better, or you can get up off your butt and start doing something about the situation.

Not every situation can be salvaged. Some things will turn out badly. But there are few things that cannot be changed at least a little, if you are willing to work at it. Yes, you may still lose, but you might just be able to score a few points, if you work hard and smart.

Why is leadership important?  Continue reading →

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Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess.

Posted on 22 November 2012 by philosiblog

Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess. – Marcus Aurelius

We all have things for which to be thankful. How long is your list?

What does that mean?
This is another Twitter-shortened quote. A more complete version of the quote which is from his book Meditations is: “Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess, and then thankfully remember how you would crave for them if they were not yours.”

This quote is about being happy with what you have, rather than wishing you had more. To me, this is a critical part of being happy, for in acting contrary to this advice, you will find, with both great regularity and swift certainty, unhappiness.

The longer version reminds us to be thankful for what we have by considering how miserable we would be if we did not have even that small bounty. In short, this quote is about getting our heads straight, and focusing on what is important in our lives.

Why is focusing on what truly matters important?  Continue reading →

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Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.

Posted on 21 November 2012 by philosiblog

Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do. – Voltaire

If you heard a crash and saw this across the street, would you go over and make sure no one was in it, or help them out if they were? Or would you choose to not act?

What does that mean?
This quote was shortened far before the advent of Twitter. It is from one of his books, and the complete quote is: “A minister of state is excusable for the harm he does when the helm of government has forced his hand in a storm; but in the calm he is guilty of all the good he does not do.”

This quote we are using is a generalization of the full quote, which was made regarding government ministers, who can be forgiven when they do harm at the insistence of the crown or events beyond their control, but when all is calm, they are responsible for the good they don’t do.

I like this quote because we are all familiar with the evil done by lies of omission, when a person fails to tell the whole truth, or leaves out a critical detail. This lack of information can cause tragic consequences when a decision is made based on this lack of information.

This quote is about the evil done by lack of action, rather than the lack of information. It is about the things you could have done, or should have done, but did not do. While you may not have directly caused something to happen, your inaction allowed the situation to become worse.

Why is doing good deeds important?  Continue reading →

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Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science.

Posted on 20 November 2012 by philosiblog

Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science. – Edwin Hubble

The Hubble Telescope provides this image of a gravity lens imagined by the mind of Einstein, and through the power of technology, can now be observed with our own eyes. What a powerful combination our brains and senses are!

What does that mean?
This quote is interesting to me as it demonstrates the two parts of Science. There is that which we can detect, measure, and experience with our senses, and that which we cannot. Often, as technology progresses, science which was abstract becomes apparent to our senses.

This quote is about the first half of the dichotomy of Science, those things we can detect, measure, and experience with our five senses. The implication is that we use our minds and the methods of science to give meaning to what we experience.

We humans are curious beings, and seem to delight in finding new ways to look at old data. Eventually, we find ways to observe theories, and then have to make adjustments to the theories. We continuously use the Scientific Method as our guiding method for analyzing and interpreting what we find.

Why is using our minds to analyze the input important?  Continue reading →

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There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit.

Posted on 19 November 2012 by philosiblog

There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. – Indira Gandhi

How many people will claim credit? The one working on it, or the five who were supervising?

What does that mean?
As is so often the case, this is a longer quote, shortened for use on Twitter.

“My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition.”

These are interesting words from a family of movers and shakers. If you have ever put any significant effort into a project, only to have someone else claim credit, or even say “me too,” then you likely understand the meaning of the first half of the quote.

The quote, after talking about the two kinds of people, states the scarcity of the people actually doing the work. It also urges us to spend as much time in that group and as little time in the other, as we possibly can.

In reality, there is a third group of people which vastly outnumber the other two, combined. That is the people who neither do things, nor seek to take credit for them. That isn’t a group in which I want to claim membership, do you?

Why is doing the work important?  Continue reading →

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Altruism is not merely a religious ideal; it is an indispensable requirement for humanity at large.

Posted on 18 November 2012 by philosiblog

Altruism is not merely a religious ideal; it is an indispensable requirement for humanity at large. – Dalai Lama

This picture was about ending world hunger, according to the blurb. It’s a worthy ambition, even if we don’t get there in our lifetime. What can you do to help in your part of the world to help out?

What does that mean?
This quote reminds us that while altruism is associated with religious orders and organizations, it is an attitude and behavior for all of us. Even those who have no particular religious affiliation or tendencies.

Altruism isn’t just a Christian thing. Nor is it only for Buddhists  It’s not exclusive to any of the religious orders. It is the need, the duty, and the honor of all humanity to act in an altruistic manner. And not just on special days, but on every day.

The quote states the belief that altruism isn’t just a nice idea for all of humanity, but a requirement for all of us. While that sounds a bit strict, imagine what we would be like if we had little to no altruism in this world, and how harsh life would be for us all.

Why is altruism important?  Continue reading →

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