When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

Posted on 22 May 2012 by philosiblog

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, stated by Sherlock Holmes

From the curve of the wall and the shape of the tile, it is likely a subway station. From the graphic, I must say, this is the Baker Street station of the Tube. It’s elementary, when you think about it.

What does that mean?
To me, this is all about logic. If you start with everything you can think of, and then eliminate those that are impossible, you are well on your way to a solution.

That’s the first stage of solving any mystery, whether it’s a murder mystery in a book (or TV, or movie, or…) or something you expected to work, but didn’t. You have to eliminate all the things that it couldn’t possibly be, or you will have too many distractions.

Once we clear out all the distractions, we can focus on what remains. Sometimes what is left is easy to believe, other times it can seem highly improbable. However, with the impossible eliminated, what remains are the only possible solutions. And one of them must be the truth.

Why is clearing out the impossible solutions important?  Continue reading →

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When I work fourteen hours a day, seven days a week, I get lucky.

Posted on 21 May 2012 by philosiblog

When I work fourteen hours a day, seven days a week, I get lucky. – Armand Hammer

Opportunity is knocking. Is a business deal, a friendship, or is it something else? Can you tell the difference, and how ready are you for what life might bring? Are you feeling lucky?

What does that mean?
While the exact circumstance of the quote is unknown to me, the work ethic of Armand and his brothers. That is well known to many. As the quote says, he worked very long hours, and rarely took time off. If he did at least twice as well as another, it was only because he worked twice as hard and twice as long.

I imagine this quote was a retort to a reporter who asked about a recent success in the business world, and had inferred that it was luck that sealed the deal. While I acknowledge that luck does exist, most of the time what is attributed to luck was merely the result of long hard hours of work and research.

Luck is being ready when opportunity knocks at the door. While there are many connections between Armand and both US political parties, as well as dozens of foreign governments, isn’t that part of being ready? If you know people, is that luck, or is it being prepared?

Why is being ready important?  Continue reading →

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Whenever I meet someone I try to look for their positive qualities, which immediately gives me a feeling of connectedness with them.

Posted on 20 May 2012 by philosiblog

Whenever I meet someone I try to look for their positive qualities, which immediately gives me a feeling of connectedness with them.– Dalai Lama

How do you generate a feeling of connectedness when you meet another?

What does that mean?
When you meet someone, either a new person, or a person you have known for some time, you have a choice. You can look for all their negative qualities, or you can look for all their positive qualities.

It’s a common device used in television and movies. There is someone, usually an older person, who can list all the negative qualities in a person. “They wear their hair too long, and their skirts too short!” might be something they would say.

Is that how you wish to be known, the person who is always complaining? I would rather be known as the person who always has a smile on their face and a kind word on their lips.

By seeking their positive qualities, the quote tells us that we can find common ground, and feel a level of connectedness with them. That sounds like a better way to greet someone than to first try to find all their negative qualities, right?

Why is feeling connected with others important?  Continue reading →

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Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.

Posted on 19 May 2012 by philosiblog

Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are. – Niccolò Machiavelli

What masks do you wear? Is there something wrong with the real you, that you would hide it from everyone?

What does that mean?
While the translation I used wasn’t exactly the same, it’s close enough for what we are doing. This quote was from The Prince, where the author is giving advice for how a Prince should craft his public image.

In that chapter, the Prince is given advice, and told to be consistent in public, as many will see them, and believe the carefully crafted image that the Prince has constructed.

Since very few of those people will ever meet the Prince, how the Prince behaves in private is of little consequence. If their private behavior is discovered, the chapter continues, few will believe it.

In short, Machiavelli is giving advice on how to lie and deceive, and how to get away with it.

Why is honesty important?  Continue reading →

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Men of genius are admired, men of wealth are envied, men of power are feared; but only men of character are trusted.

Posted on 18 May 2012 by philosiblog

Men of genius are admired, men of wealth are envied, men of power are feared; but only men of character are trusted. – Alfred Adler

“You would like me to watch the hen house? Why yes, I am very good at looking after hens, and I would love to do that for you!” said Red the Fox.

What does that mean?
People of genius, like Albert Einstein and Marie Curie are admired or held in high esteem, both for their abilities as scientists as well as for what they actually achieved.

People of wealth, like Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey are envied or looked at with covetous desire for both what they have already earned, as well as what they will likely earn in the future.

People of power, like Ivan the Terrible or Ranavalona are feared or seen through terror filled eyes because of what they have done in the past, or what (if they were alive today) they might do in the future.

People of character, the quote reminds us, are the only ones of the bunch that are trusted. Please note that the the four categories listed in the quote are not in any way mutually exclusive. Many powerful people are also wealthy (which came first?), and a few of them even have some character!

Why is being worthy of trust important?  Continue reading →

Posted in character, conscience, integrity, loyalty, self improvement, virtue | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out; it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.

Posted on 17 May 2012 by philosiblog

It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out; it’s the grain of sand in your shoe. – Robert W. Service

Don’t let the sand in your shoe ruin your enjoyment of climbing the mountain! Keep a good attitude!

What does that mean?
Humans are odd creatures. They can endure some of the most incredible hardships with hardly a peep, but will get all upset over something tiny by comparison. To me, that’s what this quote is about. Hiking up a mountain, it is no big deal.

However, the grain of sand in your shoe, that’s what is going to wear you out. If you’ve ever been walking and gotten some sand or a tiny pebble in your shoe, you know what he means. It will drive you to distraction in a very short time, right?

To me, this quote is about our attitude. It’s important to be able to endure the little annoyances and stay focused on accomplishing the big things. We must keep our attitude positive, work through the little things and keep working on the big things. That’s how we get things done, at least that’s how it works for me.

Why is our attitude important?  Continue reading →

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When people don’t believe in you, you have to believe in yourself.

Posted on 16 May 2012 by philosiblog

When people don’t believe in you, you have to believe in yourself. – Pierce Brosnan

It takes belief in yourself if you are going to do a fire-walk. And yes, I have. And no, that’s not me in the picture.

What does that mean?
Our belief in ourselves, our ability to get things done, is central to our self worth and key to our ability to remain motivated when times get tough. It’s not uncommon for others to not believe in you, because they don’t know how motivated, how committed, or how much you need to do what they think you can’t do.

However, when the others don’t believe in you, that’s when you most need to believe in yourself. If, when others don’t believe, you don’t believe in yourself either, it’s going to be hard to get very far, right?

By believing in yourself, you don’t need others to believe in you (although it doesn’t hurt to have a few of them on your side). Believing in yourself, especially when others don’t, that can bring an enormous sense of triumph when you manage to accomplish your goals. Doubly so, because it is despite all the people who didn’t think it could be done, or at least not by you.

Why is having high expectations of yourself important?  Continue reading →

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Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.

Posted on 15 May 2012 by philosiblog

Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore. – L. Frank Baum (as spoken by Dorothy in his masterpiece The Wizard of Oz)

Dorothy learned much from her journey, including what it meant to have a heart, brains, and courage. What will you learn on your journey?

What does that mean?
This saying has become a cultural metaphor in English speaking countries (and perhaps other places as well) which means we are not in a place with which we are familiar. It implies different rules, different customs, and few, if any familiar objects or activities. Which is exactly where Dorothy ended up.

The quote is stated by Dorothy, the main character, to her dog near the beginning of an epic tale of discovery, where the journey was even more important than the destination, where the lessons learned were life-changing, and the dangers and challenges helped the characters grow.

In the story, she changes from a scared and insecure little girl to a relatively self-reliant and responsible young adult. Along the way, she makes some friends, and together they solve their problems and grow along the way.

All because they were not, in fact, in Kansas anymore. She was out of her comfort zone, and needed to grow, adapt, and learn in order to survive. She learned to help her friends and to accept help from them, as well as accepting responsibility for her actions, or the lack thereof.

Why is the journey important?  Continue reading →

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You simply have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Put blinders on and plow right ahead.

Posted on 14 May 2012 by philosiblog

You simply have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Put blinders on and plow right ahead. –  George Lucas

A pair of horses with blinders and bug screens for their eyes. The blinders keep them focused on what is ahead of them, and not distracted by anything else.

What does that mean?
Life is an interesting thing. By that, I mean that there is always something interesting going on. Plenty of distractions. “Ooooh! Something Shiny!” and “Squirrel!” they are all around us. It is easy to lose our direction if we are not paying attention.

This quote reminds to keep going, by simply taking one step after the next, until we get to where we are going. But it can take a long time if you lose your way. Getting distracted could cause you to take many steps in a direction other than your desired destination.

That’s were the blinders come in. Blinders were designed to keep horses from being distracted. As cities became larger, and the distractions became more numerous, the blinders kept the horses plowing straight ahead, one hoof in front of the other. [The eyesight of a horse covers nearly 360 degrees, so blinders were used to limit what they could see, and to keep them focused on what was ahead of them]

Why is knowing your direction important?  Continue reading →

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Fear, hatred, and suspicion narrow your mind – compassion opens it.

Posted on 13 May 2012 by philosiblog

Fear, hatred, and suspicion narrow your mind – compassion opens it. – Dalai Lama

Be honest. When you first saw the picture, was your first thought one of compassion, or was your first thought somewhat less than compassionate?

What does that mean?
This is one of his central themes, the building or presence of compassion. In this quote, he focuses on what happens within ourselves when compassion is present or absent.

In this case, when compassion is absent, he warns that fear, hatred, and suspicion can narrow your mind and make it even harder to be compassionate. It is hard to be both compassionate and afraid of something or someone? What about hating, is it compatible with compassion? And is suspicion any more compatible?

With compassion in your heart, it opens your mind to the possibilities of other people having other views and values, without having to be suspicious, fearful, or hateful of them. One will drive out the others, or the opposite will happen.

Yes, I believe compassion is that strong, if you can develop your heart and your mind to give it the strength to win out over the others. I believe it is a worthy effort, even if you can’t achieve perfect compassion (is that even possible in an imperfect world?).

Why is compassion important?  Continue reading →

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I’m not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.

Posted on 12 May 2012 by philosiblog

I’m not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.– Niccolò Machiavelli

Weddings are a great start, but time changes all of us. If you aren’t changing together, than you’re changing apart. The status quo doesn’t last.

What does that mean?
This is a famous misquote, but an interesting one none the less. In his day, and in his trade, change was necessary for business to be good. His job was to change that which was the status quo.

He was the expert, and his job was to help those out of power win it back, and to help those in power remain there. Even for those attempting to remain in power, it was critical that they stop doing what was harming their power base, and thus change the status quo.

When Machiavelli was in town, change was to be expected. That was his job. And business was good. While any given ruler was probably doing dozens of things right, the one thing that he was doing wrong could easily cost him his rule, so the status quo must go! At least that’s what this mis-quote means to me.

Why is continuous change important?  Continue reading →

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If you can dream it, you can do it.

Posted on 11 May 2012 by philosiblog

If you can dream it, you can do it. – Walt Disney

Walt had a dream. He worked until he made it happen. What is your dream?

What does that mean?
To me, this means pretty much what it says. Now like most simple quotes, there’s a lot more going on. But on the surface, it’s pretty straight forward. The first part, “If you can dream it,” to me says “If you can put the thoughts that make up a thing together in your head,”.

The second part, “you can do it.” to me says “you can make that thought a reality.” So to me, this quote is about dreaming great and beautiful things, and making them so powerful in your head that you simply must make them come to life.

Once you have a sufficiently big reason why something must be done, the actual doing simply becomes a numbers game. Ask often enough for help, assistance, and support, and share a compelling dream, then you will eventually make it happen. But first comes the dream.

Why is having a dream important?  Continue reading →

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A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.

Posted on 10 May 2012 by philosiblog

A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices. – William James

Recently, there was a shooting, and the hoodie sweatshirt became a focal point. Does a prejudice about a hoodie say more about you, or the person wearing it?

What does that mean?
At theFreeDictionary.com, prejudice is defined as “An adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts.” and “A preconceived preference or idea.” So rephrasing the quote, “a great many people believe they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their preconceived judgements.”

So, what a lot of people are doing, according to the quote, is simply applying one adverse judgement (formed without having examined the facts) in place of another. This differs from actual thinking because thinking is based on an examination of the facts, and coming to a logical or informed decision based on those facts.

Absent the facts, one cannot actually have an intelligent discussion, much less perform logical thinking. Everything becomes conjecture and hypothesis. While something can come of such theoretical thought, that requires a lack of preformed or preconceived notions about the topic.

To recap, to think you must have facts, and must leave preconceived notions or prejudices behind. Without both conditions, you’re not really thinking, but simply moving your prejudices around.

Why is abandoning prejudices important?  Continue reading →

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If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time.

Posted on 9 May 2012 by philosiblog

If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time. – Billy Joel

Do you love photography and taking pictures? Some people actually make a living taking photos. Have you got what it takes? The cat seems to be satisfied with the arrangement.

What does that mean?
Face it, you’re either doing something you love, or you aren’t. Actually, for most of us, it’s a mix, and some days are better than others. For those who aren’t loving what they are doing, most of their days are solidly in the “don’t love” category.

Some of us are doing something we kind of love. There is some aspect of our jobs which we love, and other parts we don’t love. We suffer through the less fun parts as a duty. It is the price of admission for getting to the parts we do love. Nobody loves paperwork, right?

The quote ends by saying that you are wasting your time if you don’t love what you’re doing. From a personal fulfillment viewpoint, it’s spot on. However, I imagine even the author of the quote finds some aspects of his job to be extraordinarily hard to love.

Why is satisfaction important?  Continue reading →

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A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.

Posted on 8 May 2012 by philosiblog

A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties. – Harry S Truman

Despite all odds, and in the face of immense difficulties, they are focused and remain steadfastly optimistic for the future.

What does that mean?
There are two kinds of people in the world, those who divide everything into two groups, and everyone else. But seriously, while we may slip between camps from time to time, most of us are either optimists or pessimists.

This quote uses a fairly bright line to divide people between the camps. Life is full of both difficulties and opportunities, the quote says. How you approach these things will define you as either an optimist or a pessimist.

The approach you take will depend largely on your attitude and your focus. If you are an upbeat person, with an upbeat attitude, you’re far more likely to be an optimist. Similarly, if your focus is on the opportunities, rather than the difficulties, you are more likely to be an optimist. Does that make sense?

Why is focus important?  Continue reading →

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