Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated

Posted on 10 January 2012 by philosiblog

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. – Confucius

Sometimes, the simple things are the best. Although there is some room for the occasional bit of complication.

What does that mean?
This quote hit me pretty hard, once I started thinking about it. What if it didn’t matter what kind of car you drove. What if it didn’t matter how nice your house was, so long as it was functional? It got me thinking about how much of our lives are complicated only because we choose to make it so.

How do we complicate things beyond need? When we get a laptop, suddenly everywhere is the office. To me, that’s more complicated than necessary. Same with smart phones and tablets. Yes, they can be useful, but how much easier do they make your life, or are they a complication? If you have to worry about the battery and how many bars you have, how much help is it in simplifying our lives?

Why is simplicity important?  Continue reading →

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To understand your parents’ love you must raise children yourself

Posted on 9 January 2012 by philosiblog

To understand your parents’ love you must raise children yourself. – Chinese Proverbs

Chocolate cake for Breakfast? "Eggs are in chocolate cake. And milk! Oh, goodie! And wheat! That's nutrition!" - from Bill Cosby: Himself

What does that mean?
This will be a challenge to explain. If you have kids, you already know what the quote is talking about. If you don’t have kids, it’s going to be hard to explain this to you.

One of the things that children don’t see is the sacrifice the parents go through to make life easier for the children. Not all parents do this as well as one might hope, but the majority do try. Parents usually do the things they do for the benefit of their kids.

Love and responsibility often seem at odds in the near term, but if you look at the longer term, or the big picture, the job of the parent is to make sure the child is ready to take care of themselves in the real world. In looking back, I hope you can see the love of your parents, mixed in with their human faults.

Why is parental discipline important?  Continue reading →

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The creation of a more peaceful and happier society has to begin from the level of the individual.

Posted on 8 January 2012 by philosiblog

The creation of a more peaceful and happier society has to begin from the level of the individual. – Dalai Lama

What are your New Years Resolutions? What are you going to do to improve yourself?

What does that mean?
This is a fairly pragmatic statement. There are only a handful of individuals in the world who can influence more than themselves and a few others (close friends and family). For the vast majority of humans on the planet, all we can do is start the change within ourselves, and hope to lead by example.

To become more peaceful, we must eschew conflict and seek better solutions to the problems and difficulties in our lives. To become happier, we must look for the good in everything, and not seek out the difficulties, problems or inequities that might be present. When we do this, we help elevate humanity, even if only in the slightest bit.

Why is working to improve ourselves important?  Continue reading →

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It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.

Posted on 7 January 2012 by philosiblog

It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.  – Niccolò Machiavelli

Cheating the card shark may be fun, but it still makes you a cheater.

What does that mean?
This quote is a little petty, but there is a certain satisfaction in putting something over on someone who regularly tries to deceive others. Successfully lying to a habitual liar would fall into this same category. While the quote is specifically about deceit, I believe it can be applied to other parts of our lives as well.

But why is it considered pleasurable to do something bad to someone who is normally the one doing something bad? I believe it is related to the feeling of supremacy, of besting someone. For some, it might also have to do with beating someone at their own game, to use another old expression. I consider any action of this type to be a bit petty, as I don’t think it would be the proper course of action.

Why is proper behavior important?  Continue reading →

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The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place

Posted on 6 January 2012 by philosiblog

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. – George Bernard Shaw

STOP! While that's a great start on a sand witch, I'm not interested in beach art. I'm hungry and I want a something to eat, OK?

What does that mean?
Communication is very important to inter-personal discussions, as it is how we move ideas from person to person. When communication goes awry, part of the idea is lost or misunderstood by the other person. The other person thinks they have the idea, but in fact it is, at best, not quite right and at worst it can lead to something tragic. This is the problem the quote is discussing.

The quote speaks of the illusion that communication has occurred, but in actuality, it has not. Both people think they understand what has been passed between them, but the ideas they have are not the same. This is where the illusion of communication can be most damaging.

Why is communication important?  Continue reading →

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I always turn to the sports pages first, which records people’s accomplishments.The front page has nothing but man’s failures

Posted on 5 January 2012 by philosiblog

I always turn to the sports pages first, which records people’s accomplishments.The front page has nothing but man’s failures. –Earl Warren

Usain Bolt, heading for the World Record in the 100 meter dash, at the Beijing Olympics 2008.

What does that mean?
For those of us who aren’t big fans of newspapers, this quote is the embodiment of one of our biggest complaints. The newspapers seem to always focus on the worst things that happen in life. The biggest failures, the greatest tragedies, or the worst of human behavior are their best sellers. And the worst of the worst is always on the front page.

The sports pages will sometimes cover tragedies, as unfortunate things happen in sports as well as in the rest of life. However, they usually are focusing their coverage on the best in human achievement. Do any of you remember the excitement in the 2008 Olympics when Usain Bolt broke the world record for the 100m dash? I was quite excited to see such a magnificent achievement, and I don’t even care for track & field.

Why is achievement important?  Continue reading →

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It is best to rise from life as from a banquet, neither thirsty nor drunken

Posted on 4 January 2012 by philosiblog

It is best to rise from life as from a banquet, neither thirsty nor drunken. – Aristotle

You know you might have partied too hard if...

What does that mean?
If I had been thinking, this would have been posted on the 31st of December, where it would have been a bit more topical. However, with the events of New Years Eve still fresh in your memory (either from experience or observation), there is still benefit to be had from this line of inquisition.

Aristotle is famous for his doctrine of the “Golden Mean,” which states there is a happy medium between the extremes of too much and too little. In this case, he is discussing the imbibing of alcoholic beverages. If you drink too little, you are left thirsty, and that’s not good. If you have too much, you are drunken, and that’s not good either.

According to the quote, the best path is somewhere in-between, drinking neither too little, nor too much. The quote says that you should behave in life as you would at a banquet. Enjoy yourself and have fun, but neither too much, nor too little.

Why is ‘just right’ important?  Continue reading →

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Fear is not a lasting teacher of duty

Posted on 3 January 2012 by philosiblog

Fear is not a lasting teacher of duty. – Cicero

Do your duty, not out of fear, but because it is right.

What does that mean?
This quote is about fear, and duty. Fear is a powerful motivator, but a brief one. Once the danger or threat is gone, so is the motivation. If the only reason you do something you should be doing (a duty) is because of fear of punishment or some other consequence, then when the enforcing authority is not there, you will stop doing your duty.

This is a bad way to learn duty, because you aren’t learning to do your duty when it is supposed to be done, but only when you think that in failing to do it, you will be caught and punished. That isn’t the proper way to do things, is it? Does the performance of the duty become part of you, or just the fear of punishment? That’s why it’s not a lasting teacher, right?

Why is duty important?  Continue reading →

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For peace is not mere absence of war, but is a virtue that springs from, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.

Posted on 2 January 2012 by philosiblog

For peace is not mere absence of war, but is a virtue that springs from, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice. – Baruch Spinoza

What if being right meant losing a friend? What is Peace worth to you?

What does that mean?
This quote is just a little long for use on Twitter, and is often changed slightly or tightened up a bit. I have presented it here in full form, but there are many other variants floating around out there.

This is a favorite quote of mine. After World War 1 (the War to End All Wars, as it was called back then), there was peace in Europe. However it was merely the absence of war. There was no benevolence and little justice for those who were on the losing side. This became resentment and eventually led to World War 2.

For us as individuals, this quote still applies. The cold truce after a fight with a close friend isn’t really peace, it’s just the absence of war. Until there is benevolence, confidence, and justice, the anger which started the war will continue to simmer below the surface. It will continue in that manner until the anger comes to boil, or true peace is achieved.

Why is peace (and peace of mind) important?  Continue reading →

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2011 in review

Posted on 2 January 2012 by philosiblog

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,100 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

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It is my hope that the twenty-first century will be a century when a more caring, responsible, and compassionate humanity will emerge

Posted on 1 January 2012 by philosiblog

It is my hope that the twenty-first century will be a century when a more caring, responsible, and compassionate humanity will emerge. – Dalai Lama

What if we treated everyone like they were our own child?

What does that mean?
As we start a New Year, it’s a great time to renew our callings as humans. While the 21st century is over 1/10th of the way through, we can still work to make it a better century. The quote lists three goals for humanity, to be more caring, to be more responsible, and to be more compassionate.

While we cannot force the rest of humanity to work on those traits, we can work on them ourselves. We can lead by example. We can work on ourselves and try to help our friends become more caring, more responsible and more compassionate.

If these traits aren’t part of your normal life, it may seem hard at first. If traits are already part of your normal life, it may seem hard to get any better at it than you already are. In either case, I think it’s worth a try.

Why are caring, responsibility, and compassion important?  Continue reading →

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Make no small plans for they have no power to stir the soul

Posted on 31 December 2011 by philosiblog

Make no small plans for they have no power to stir the soul. – Niccolò Machiavelli

Also attributed (in slightly different words) to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

What has the power to stir your soul? Do you want to lose 20 pounds, or do you want to look fabulous at your Class Reunion?

What does that mean?
Which is more inspiring, putting a man on the moon, or going to the grocery store for a gallon of milk? Yes, that’s an extreme example, but you get the point. Do you get excited when you are making a grocery list? Do you get excited making today’s punch list?

On the other hand, how excited do you get when you plan something big, like a wedding or a vacation? Those are big plans, and indeed, they have the power to stir the soul. They get you excited, and the excited emotions then ignites the energy in your body that sustains you. Together, they see you through the emotional down cycles, and the low energy times, allowing you to persevere and complete the task, and enjoy the reward.

Why is energy and excitement important?  Continue reading →

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Time to maximize what matters most to you. For most people…. Killing time is not murder, it’s suicide!

Posted on 30 December 2011 by philosiblog

Time to maximize what matters most to you. For most people….”Killing time is not murder, it’s suicide!” Tony Robbins and here

Oh, wait! There's another game on. I'll get to it later...

What does that mean?
This is a quote I like, even though it’s obviously shortened. It starts by emphasizing that you need to figure out what matters most to you and get busy working on it. There is also an undercurrent of time utilization or time management in the quote.

The quote finishes with a very emotional statement that killing time (wasting time) isn’t murder (obviously a very serious crime), but is suicide. Think about it for a moment. When we kill time, who is it we are hurting, someone else, or ourselves? The quote urges us to quit doing that and start using that time for something that matters!

Why is good use of time important?  Continue reading →

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Knowledge which is divorced from justice, may be called cunning rather than wisdom

Posted on 29 December 2011 by philosiblog

Knowledge which is divorced from justice, may be called cunning rather than wisdom. – Cicero

"...and then he said..." Is gossip closer to wise or to cunning?

What does that mean?
In this quote, I believe he is talking about the fact that knowledge doesn’t have morals built into it. Fire can be used to keep you warm, or it can be used to kill you. Fire has no morals, only the people who use it have morals (or are lacking them). Here I use the word morals in place of justice, as both refer to a proper and beneficial use compared to an improper or harmful use of knowledge.

Those who put knowledge to a moral or good use are considered wise. Those who put knowledge to use for immoral or ill use are considered cunning. The knowledge is the same, but the use it is put to, whether there is justice or morals in the application, will determine the label we place on it.

Why is justice important?  Continue reading →

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To know what people really think, pay regard to what they do, rather than what they say

Posted on 28 December 2011 by philosiblog

To know what people really think, pay regard to what they do, rather than what they say. – Descartes

When you say one thing but do another, you are like this clock; two faced.

What does that mean?
This quote reminds us that people will say things that they think you want to hear, or that they believe are expected of them. However, they might not truly believe the words they speak. While this isn’t an uncommon behavior to observe, it is a bit disconcerting to hear, and quite uncomfortable to actually be caught doing.

To find out what they truly believe, with the conviction of their heart, the quote continues, you need only watch what they do. You have probably heard the expression “lead by example” used before. If you want to inspire loyalty, don’t be disloyal. If you want to inspire honesty, don’t lie. While it makes perfect sense, how often do we violate this in our daily lives?

Why is being congruent important?  Continue reading →

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