I didn’t play the game right because I saw a reward at the end of the tunnel.

Posted on 18 September 2012 by philosiblog

I didn’t play the game right because I saw a reward at the end of the tunnel. – Ryne Sandburg

Working in a coal mine… and reading on breaks to feed his mind. That’s a great work ethic. Get ahead now, and get ahead later!

What does that mean?
I like this quote, because it’s about the work ethic. If you do something simply because you get paid, you don’t have it. If you do just the minimum to get by, you don’t have it. If you’re spending more time thinking about other things, and not your job, you don’t have it.

The work ethic, which is based on our beliefs and our attitude towards work, is an interesting measure of a person. Do they just do enough to get by? Do they only do it right when you watch them? To me, that’s not the right way to do it.

The quote states that he didn’t do his job (playing baseball) because they were paying him. He did his best for other (unspecified) reasons. One can hope that the reason was his work ethic and his personal integrity. One can hope he did so because that was the kind of person he really is. Someone who does what needs to be done because he’s part of the team.

Why is a good work ethic important?  Continue reading →

Posted in character, effort, focus, help, pride, work | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Loyalty and friendship, which is to me the same, created all the wealth that I’ve ever thought I’d have.

Posted on 17 September 2012 by philosiblog

Loyalty and friendship, which is to me the same, created all the wealth that I’ve ever thought I’d have. – Ernie Banks

It looks like he’s here to help, not just eat pizza. That’s a real friend, someone who gives your heart wealth.

What does that mean?
The quote starts by declaring loyalty and friendship as being the same. Consider that for a moment. Can you call a person a friend who is disloyal? I don’t think I could. What about someone loyal who isn’t a friend? If they are being loyal to an ideal, a concept, or their own values, are they being loyal to you?

Even if you feel you are too superior to them to acknowledge their personal loyalty, I would say that they are being a friend to you. While I still feel the words are different, for the purposes of this quote they are close enough to be considered identical.

The quote finishes by saying that the friendships he had created all the wealth he ever thought he’d have. Here, we’re looking at an alternate definition of the word wealth. While he’s not a poor man, he isn’t bragging about his bank account here. He’s talking about the richness of spirit, and the richness of the heart which only friends can give you.

I would go as far as to guess that there is an implied reciprocity in this quote. Not only were others loyal friends to him, but he was the same to them. To me, that’s where the riches come from, a shared friendship and mutual loyalty. To me, that’s what this quote is truly about.

Why is wealth important?  Continue reading →

Posted in effort, friendship, giving, gratitude, loyalty, value | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Loyalty and friendship, which is to me the same, created all the wealth that I’ve ever thought I’d have.

It is important for us to examine our motivation in our day to day life.

Posted on 16 September 2012 by philosiblog

It is important for us to examine our motivation in our day to day life. – Dalai Lama

Is this what you imagined self-examination might look like?

What does that mean?
Why do we do the things that we do? What are our motivations? What are the reasons behind our actions? How often do you ask yourself about these things? Can you tell yourself why you just did whatever it was that you did?

While it sounds like I’m talking in circles, can you really explain why you did anything you did yesterday? What were your motivations? When the phone rang, you answered it. Why? Because you’re trained to behave that way? Or because you’re waiting on a call? Were you being polite? Have you ever thought about it?

While a phone call may be a bit on the trivial side, there are plenty of other things we do each day. Why do we do them? What are our reasons? What are our motivations? Do we really want to do these things, and are we doing them for reasons that are proper, given our values and beliefs?

Why is self-examination important?  Continue reading →

Posted in belief, contemplation, motivation, question, self knowledge, value | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on It is important for us to examine our motivation in our day to day life.

Men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand

Posted on 15 September 2012 by philosiblog

Men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand. – Niccolò Machiavelli

Is he really a suit kind of guy, or is he a jeans-and-t-shirt kind of guy? If you judge by the eye, the answer is suit.

What does that mean?
This is another Twitter-shortened quote. The longer version is: “There is nothing more necessary to appear to have than this last quality (appearing to be religious), inasmuch as men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand, because it belongs to everybody to see you, to few to come in touch with you.”

In this quote (from Chapter 18, about keeping faith, or being true to your word), Machiavelli is instructing a Prince on how to behave and how to keep up appearances. He says it’s very important to appear merciful, faithful, humane, upright, and religious.

He also says that one must be prepared to act in a manner contrary to the appearance, yet keep up the appearance. This is because everyone can see what you appear to be, and only a very few will get close enough to touch you and actually find out what happened.

Why are appearances important?  Continue reading →

Posted in beauty, character, deception, honest, judgement, observation | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand

Many people die with their music still in them.

Posted on 14 September 2012 by philosiblog

Many people die with their music still in them. – Oliver Wendell Holmes

Does a bird die with it’s music still in them? Not hardly. About the only time they seem to be quiet is for that brief moment when they take the next breath.

What does that mean?
As is often the case, this is a twitter-friendly version of a longer quote: “Many people die with their music still in them. Why is this so? Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out.”

The long version does a pretty good job of explaining the quote and it’s context. It doesn’t, however, point out that the point of the quote is to equate music to our potential. We hold our potential, our music, within us as we prepare to do it right, but then run out of time.

The quote warns us against waiting too long to get things started, as we never know when our time is up. Sometimes you just have to sing, even if you don’t think you’re ready. Even if it’s not your best possible performance, it’s better than a performance that doesn’t happen because you’re still warming up, or perfecting your music.

Why is taking action important?  Continue reading →

Posted in action, belief, fear, knowledge, procrastination, worry | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Many people die with their music still in them.

If written directions alone would suffice, libraries wouldn’t need to have the rest of the universities attached.

Posted on 13 September 2012 by philosiblog

If written directions alone would suffice, libraries wouldn’t need to have the rest of the universities attached. – Judith Martin

Can you imagine the chaos that would ensue if a football team, having only ever read books about plays and the rules, took the field and tried to play a game? What they need practical experience, feedback, and a mentor or a coach.

What does that mean?
Despite all the hype and celebration of the internet as a method to learn, reading alone isn’t a very useful way to learn about a topic. The same goes for  an education consisting solely of book learning. Would you want a doctor who had only read about surgery, or one who had attended classes at a university? I know which one I’d chose!

Reading alone leaves plenty of room for misunderstanding to occur, to grow, to take root, and to warp a person’s ideas about how things work. With a university (or any other kind of teaching environment, including online), a teacher or a test can show flaws and weaknesses in a student’s learning.

In this manner, difficulties can be spotted early in the learning curve and corrected. Libraries are a great resource, and one can learn quite a bit by visiting and making use of the knowledge and wisdom contained therein. Just be sure you have a knowledgeable person with whom you can test your understanding of the material.

Why is feedback important?  Continue reading →

Posted in adaptation, curious, discovery, education, knowledge, observation | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on If written directions alone would suffice, libraries wouldn’t need to have the rest of the universities attached.

Riches do not exhilarate us so much with their possession as they torment us with their loss.

Posted on 12 September 2012 by philosiblog

Riches do not exhilarate us so much with their possession as they torment us with their loss. – Epicurus

Why is this race car smiling? Because today it is out for Track Day, not stuck in a museum! Actually, that’s just how ‘Bug Eye’ Sprites look.

What does that mean?
I love this quote, as it is all about attachment and the fear of loss. If you are desperate to keep what you have, what do you really have? If this fear of loss is constant, if your fear of loss keeps you awake at night, is it really worth having in the first place? Have you ever considered that?

The quote warns us to be cautious about our pursuit of the shiny things and what having them might bring us. Whether it’s loss by theft, misfortune, or through our own stupidity, losing our riches truly stinks. And the more we have, the more we have to lose!

The amazing thing to me is that it doesn’t seem to matter how rich you are, or how uninspiring a collection of “riches” may be, to their owner, the loss can be devastating. Even kids can fall prey to this trap, even if their “riches” are only shiny pebbles or bottle caps.

Why is reducing our urge to be possessive important?  Continue reading →

Posted in caution, desire, emotion, fear, moderation, simplicity | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Riches do not exhilarate us so much with their possession as they torment us with their loss.

I want to live my life so that my nights are not full of regrets.

Posted on 11 September 2012 by philosiblog

I want to live my life so that my nights are not full of regrets. – D.H. Lawrence

Have you ever regret drinking too much? Perhaps you can learn from your experience and stop sooner?

What does that mean?
Have you ever spent a portion of an evening not sleeping, but going over recent events? How often was that event viewed with joy, and how often was it viewed with regret? This is what I believe the quote is trying to get you to think about.

If you live your life in a manner that brings no rebuke from yourself at the end of the day, you have done well. The idea is to have a fun and eventful life, not one based in (or leads to) regrets. You can do that, if you can live with imperfection. [link: to yesterday’s blog ]

As we are all human, we will never have a perfect anything. There will always be regrets. If only I had done more, or less. If only I had been quicker, or waited a little longer. There will always be something we regret. However, they don’t have to dominate our lives.

Why is trying to live our life without regrets important?  Continue reading →

Posted in character, decision, emotion, integrity, self improvement, thinking | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on I want to live my life so that my nights are not full of regrets.

Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.

Posted on 10 September 2012 by philosiblog

Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections. – Unknown

Life is never perfect. Even the ‘perfect day’ can be spoiled by imperfections.

What does that mean?
Being happy with what you have, that is the core of happiness. When you can let go, when you can stop judging, when you can stop focusing on the imperfections, you can begin to let yourself be happy. And isn’t that kind of important in your life, being happy?

Happiness begins when you let go. When you allow life to happen, instead of trying to control it, you begin to become free. In that freedom, it is so much easier to find happiness than it is when you try to force things. So relax, and allow life to have it’s little imperfections.

If you are constantly striving for perfection, you’re doing more than most. However, if you’re expecting perfection, you will likely be miserable, as few things are ever even remotely close to perfect. At least that’s how it has been in my life. How about yours?

Why is taking it easy important?  Continue reading →

Posted in calm, creativity, focus, gratitude, innovation, relaxation | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

More important than being loved is to love.

Posted on 9 September 2012 by philosiblog

More important than being loved is to love. – Dalai Lama

If someone asked you for directions, would you help? Would you show some love to a fellow traveler, presuming you knew the answer?

What does that mean?
Loving, or the act of giving love away to another, is a very powerful force. Receiving love is also powerful, but it relies on others to act in a loving manner towards you. To me, this quote is all about the power inherent to love, and the joy it brings to you when you give it away to another.

One important difference between being loved and loving another is you can only control one of those. You cannot make someone else love you. However, you can give love to any number of people, and yet you are not diminished for having done so.

Love given is a joy for you to give and a joy for the person receiving it, thus doubling the joy. Love, by my estimation, includes everything from a friendly, love of humanity kind of love, to a love of country or ideals. It can also refer to romantic love, of course, but that is not the type of love I wish to describe.

Why is giving of oneself important?  Continue reading →

Posted in altruism, caring, giving, humanitarianism, love, service | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on More important than being loved is to love.

No other way to guard self against flattery than by making people understand that telling you the truth will not offend you.

Posted on 8 September 2012 by philosiblog

No other way to guard self against flattery than by making people understand that telling U the truth DO NOT offend U. – Niccolò Machiavelli

From Wall Street crooks to back street hustlers, if you have money, they will try to gain your confidence using flattery or anything else they possibly can to take it from you. Be wary, and insist on just the truth!

What does that mean?
This is another quote that’s just a little longer than what easily fits on Twitter. “There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you.”

This quote is from his book “The Prince,” Chapter XXIII, in which he discusses the dangers of flatterers and why they should be avoided. Avoiding flattery is considered important by Machiavelli because of his concerns that a flatterer could hold too much influence over a Prince.

Flattery, is a way of life for some people, a way to exert their influence over the real ruler. This is the classic “true power behind the throne” scenario. The Prince ends up being duped (or flattered) into acting on the behalf of the flatterer, and not necessarily in their own best interests.

That is what the quote is talking about. How do you stop a flatterer dead in their tracks? Tell *everyone* that you are not offended by the truth, so there is no reason to try to candy-coat it. That is part of what a flatterer normally leads with, so take away the opening and leave the flatter with no way to gain access.

Why is keeping a level head important?  Continue reading →

Posted in advice, confidence, friendship, hope, judgement, power | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself.

Posted on 7 September 2012 by philosiblog

A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself. – Alexandre Dumas (and also Ambrose Bierce)

Do you believe in yourself, or are you already determined that your attempt is doomed to fail?

What does that mean?
As is often the case with Twitter, this is the shorter version of the a longer quote. “A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself. He makes his failure certain by himself being the first person to be convinced of it.”

This is a simple truth, even if it’s a little painful to hear. Doubt in general, and self doubt in particular, is a killer. It will tear down your resolve, it will weaken your will, it will cloud your vision, it will wear down your spirit, and it will lead to failure.

In reality, doubt is the surest, as well as the shortest, path to failure. Doubt will breed fear. Fear will lead to inaction (or half-actions). Inaction will result in failure. Doubt is a pre-admission of defeat. That is the heart of this quote, a warning against falling prey to a defeatist mind set, a warning against doubt.

Why is believing in yourself important?  Continue reading →

Posted in attitude, courage, improve, obstacles, personal growth, self-esteem | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself.

Thanks for all the page views!

Posted on 6 September 2012 by philosiblog

Sometime in the last 6 hours or so this blog got it’s 100,000 page view (since I started a year and a half – and over 550 posts – ago). Thanks for all the views!

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Thanks for all the page views!

Civilization is a method of living, an attitude of equal respect for all men.

Posted on 6 September 2012 by philosiblog

Civilization is a method of living, an attitude of equal respect for all men. – Jane Addams

The cashier looks a little stressed. How will you treat her? What will make her life better, berating her and treating her like she was worthless (or worth less), or being kind and treating her as an equal? Which takes more effort on your part? Just some things to think about next time you’re in line.

What does that mean?
This is a neat quote. It talks about the definition of civilization being tied to how we live. It says that if we live with an attitude of respect for all others, we are behaving (and living) in what the author considers a civilized manner. It’s kind of hard to disagree.

How civil would society be (and therefore how civilized would a society be) which treats different people (or groups of people) in different manners? Yes there may be order, and they may qualify as a civilization, but would we call them civilized?

Consider India under the caste system or America in the slave era. Yes, both were powerful and influential civilizations in their time, but were they civil towards even their own? Yes, the definition has changed over the years, but now we know better, right?

Why is treating others with equal respect important?  Continue reading →

Posted in attitude, character, inspire, kindness, personal growth, sympathy | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Civilization is a method of living, an attitude of equal respect for all men.

First feelings are always the most natural.

Posted on 5 September 2012 by philosiblog

First feelings are always the most natural. – Louis XIV

“Have I got a deal for you!” he intones. My gut says RUN!

What does that mean?
This is so true, in my experience. Be it emotional, intellectual, or social, the first feeling has always been my greatest ally. Before I learned to trust it, I frequently goofed things up by second-guessing myself. Now I know better, and I try to trust my initial response, or first feeling.

I also trust my first feeling when it comes to emotional decisions or feelings, and seldom have I been wrong. I also rely on my first feelings when I meet someone new. This has also served me well over time.

The first feelings are usually the feelings which come to the surface unrequested. They come to you before you actually start thinking about it, and deciding what you want to happen, and start calculating what you might have to think or feel to get that point.

To me, that’s what the quote’s most important point actually is. Trust yourself. Believe in your feelings. Go with your gut. However you want to word it, the result is usually the same, a better outcome than if you spent too much time thinking about it (and messing with your own head in the process).

Why is following your instincts important?  Continue reading →

Posted in caution, deception, empathy, judgement, observation, thinking | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments