A thing is not necessarily true because badly uttered, nor false because spoken magnificently

Posted on 27 December 2011 by philosiblog

A thing is not necessarily true because badly uttered, nor false because spoken magnificently. – Saint Augustine

"Then, um, the fairy princess, um, well, um, she turned around and, um, she accidentally knocked the lamp over. That's how the lamp got broken."

What does that mean?
Think about that, about how those who lie easily and smoothly use their ability to speak to deceive us. They have spoken magnificently, yet they have spoken falsely. However, that is one of our natural responses to a smooth talker, to presume that what they speak is false. But that’s not always the case, according to the quote. Sometimes the truth is spoken smoothly as well.

The quote also mentions the badly uttered words, and how their truth shouldn’t simply be assumed. The quote reminds us to actually examine what has been spoken, the facts, and not just pay attention to the method of their delivery. In short, it says that our ears can deceive us, and implies we should pay closer attention to the content, not just the delivery.

Why is caution important?  Continue reading →

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It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time

Posted on 26 December 2011 by philosiblog

It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time. – Winston Churchill

While the playground chains are solidly anchored and straight, in real life, the chain of destiny is more like a spiderweb, and nearly as sticky!

What does that mean?
I have also seen this quote written as “It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link of the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.” Same concept, with just a slight change in the order of the words.

This quote is an interesting paradox. If you don’t have a long range plan, how do you know what direction you’re headed and what the next few steps are? However, fate can be fickle, and change is going to happen to even the best laid plans.

To me this quote is a simple caution about planning too far in advance at too detailed a level. Yes, you need a plan for the future. Just don’t write it down to the last detail. Between now and then, things will change. Sound simple enough?

Why is proper planning important?  Continue reading →

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Even more important than the warmth and affection we receive, is the warmth and affection we give.

Posted on 25 December 2011 by philosiblog

Even more important than the warmth and affection we receive, is the warmth and affection we give. – Dalai Lama

Warmth and affection. Give some today. Try it, you'll feel better.

What does that mean?
In this season we are reminded how much better it is to give than to receive. While the little kids focus on what they get, the rest of us focus on what we were able to give. Gifts that are shared are doubly valuable , and that is what this is what the quote is emphasizing.

The other part of the quote is the specific gift, the gift of warmth and affection. It’s a gift that costs nothing, but means so much to those who are receiving it. And it also makes the giver of the gift feel so much better. At least that has been my experience. How about you, do you feel great after giving a gift, especially one of warmth and affection?

Why is giving important? Continue reading →

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There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt

Posted on 24 December 2011 by philosiblog

There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt. – Niccolò Machiavelli

Initially, I was going to use an example of contempt, but the examples I found were all too offensive. Instead, let's think about how we can work together in harmony.

What does that mean?
Without going deep into the history of the Italian Renaissance City State era, the quote was a useful tool for the Princes of the era. It helped them spot the weaker, more easily influenced cities and differentiate them from the stronger and more robust cities. In this era, science had not yet supplanted religion as the primary rule of order.

Religion provided the basis of law and morals in that era, so places where religion was held in contempt were places where law and morals were likely to also be held in contempt. This indicated places where the social order was weak and could be more easily influenced through threats, bribery or blackmail. To the Princes of the day, that was like blood in the water is for sharks.

Why is order important?  Continue reading →

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The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the amount of uncertainty that you can comfortably live with.

Posted on 23 December 2011 by philosiblog

The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the amount of uncertainty that you can comfortably live with. – Tony Robbins and here

What do you mean, you don't know if the customer is coming this week or next week?

What does that mean?
I think that this is an interesting quote. It links the quality of your life to the amount of uncertainty you can handle. I understand that if you have more uncertainty than you can handle, you will be too frantic to enjoy your life. If it is smaller than the amount that you can handle, you will likely be calm and collected, and be able to enjoy your life more completely.

What I also find interesting is that buried in this quote, I perceive a challenge. To me, it’s saying if you can tolerate more uncertainty, you will be able to enjoy a higher quality of life. This makes more sense if you look at it the other way around. What quality of life does someone have who has a low tolerance for uncertainty when compared to someone who can roll with the changes life inevitably throws at us?

Why is the ability to handle uncertainty important? Continue reading →

Posted in contentment, humor, perspective, relaxation, risk, tolerance | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future

Posted on 22 December 2011 by philosiblog

Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. – Oscar Wilde

Did you have a reputation in the past? We all have a future, however dubious our past may have been.

What does that mean?
This quote states that everyone who has been declared a Saint was, at one time, something less than saintly. This is a word of encouragement, that every person who has been made a saint was once a normal person like the rest of us, that no one is born into sainthood.

It also states the same thing, in reverse, saying that everyone who is now a sinner (that would, by standard Christian theology, be everyone) has an opportunity to become a better person. By inference, you might even think that sainthood was possible for a handful of us.

Why is character important?  Continue reading →

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The problem with the world is that we draw our family circle too small

Posted on 21 December 2011 by philosiblog

The problem with the world is that we draw our family circle too small. – Mother Teresa

What if we treated everyone as if they were a friend?

What does that mean?
To me, the quote is telling us that we treat people in different manners depending on the label we have given to them. Typically immediate family has highest priority, then come more distant relations and friends. Then there are acquaintances, in the middle zone of ambivalence. At the bottom are the people you don’t know and those you don’t care to know.

I can imagine Mother Teresa seeing this as a form of caste system, being how it was prevalent in India, where she spent her latter years. Think about that, a caste system. You like people with freckles, so you treat them well. But people with brown hair, well that’s quite a different story. Does that make any sense? Should we treat people differently?

Why is treating people better important?  Continue reading →

Posted in altruism, forgiveness, friendship, kindness, leadership, tolerance | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that is in itself a choice

Posted on 20 December 2011 by philosiblog

When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that is in itself a choice. – William James

So many choices. Which one would you choose, and why?

What does that mean?
To quote the rock band Rush, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” I believe that this is what the quote boils down to. For those who are interested, his Wikipedia page (click on his name after the quote) has some interesting details and links regarding freewill, and it’s implication.

We all have choices to make in life. Will you become a friend with this person, that one, or both? In real life, or on facebook, not deciding is still a choice. In the case of indecision, the choice becomes ‘none of the above,’ right? Our choices will set our path, so some of them are worth a little thought before deciding. At least for the important ones, right?

Why are making informed choices important?  Continue reading →

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The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy

Posted on 19 December 2011 by philosiblog

The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy. – Kalu Kalu (unable to find Bio info – anyone?)

The Grinch reading to kids? Yes, that's what it says.

What does that mean?
This quote talks about motivation. If your motivation directed inward, to do things for your own benefit, they will go away when you are gone. Think of all the times people collected art, statues or other ancient artifacts. Have you heard of them? Do you know who owned the Mona Lisa before it ended up the Louvre?

If, however, your motivation is directed outward, to do things for the benefit of others, the quotes says, it will remain forever as your legacy. The art, statues and other ancient artifacts we are familiar with are all in museums, for everyone to see, enjoy and learn from. The Mona Lisa is famous for it’s beauty, and the Louvre is famous as the home of the Mona Lisa.

Why is altruism important?  Continue reading →

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The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred

Posted on 18 December 2011 by philosiblog

The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred. – Dalai Lama

Hero or Zero? Have you conquered anger? When will you begin the quest to conquer anger and hatred?

What does that mean?
This quote lauds those who can conquer their inner demons of anger and hatred. In doing so, the quote says that it is both a rare accomplishment and a worthy goal.

The term hero is often overused in today’s society. In a stricter sense, the word hero is applied to those who accomplish great feats against tremendous odds.

The great feat in this quote is to conquer their anger and hatred. Think about that for a moment. Can you imagine having no more anger or hatred within you? As difficult as it may be to achieve, it is certainly a worthy goal.

Why is attempting to conquer your own anger and hatred important?  Continue reading →

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Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer

Posted on 17 December 2011 by philosiblog

Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer. – Niccolò Machiavelli

A 91 year young lady going for a skydive. How's that for bold?

What does that mean?
This is a twitter-friendly excerpt  from a larger quote: “All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger, but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.”

This quote is another action-oriented quote. It recognises that life is full of risk. Think about that for a moment, every action, including inaction, has some level of risk. The quote continues by saying that the most prudent strategy isn’t to avoid danger, as danger is the consequence of risk.

The most prudent strategy, according to the quote, is to think about your plan, manage the risk, make a decision and act in a decisive manner. It urges us to make mistakes of action, of doing, instead of sloth, or not doing (because we’re human and we will make mistakes). It also urges us to develop our strength not to be able to suffer, but to develop the strength to do bold things.

Why is developing the strength to do bold things important?  Continue reading →

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If there’s no action, you haven’t truly decided

Posted on 16 December 2011 by philosiblog

If there’s no action, you haven’t truly decided. – Tony Robbins and here

Objects at rest. No decision yet. The big one on the right, that's my project car...

What does that mean?
This is a Twitter-Friendly version of “Remember, a real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken new action. If there’s no action, you haven’t truly decided.”

This quote is about hesitation, reluctance to commit and the trouble you can get in when you procrastinate. It’s also about taking action, decisive and energetic action. This quote says that if you aren’t taking action, you are still thinking about it. Once you have finished your analysis and come to a conclusion, it’s time for action.

By taking action, you are making a decision. You are cutting yourself off from the other choices and working energetically on the path you have chosen. Yes, you still have to keep your head on a swivel and look to see how well your approach is working. If need be, you can still modify your approach, but keep working towards your goal. In extreme cases, you might come to the conclusion that you selected the wrong approach. Same thing, when you reach a decision, you take action. Until you take action, you’re still thinking about it, right?

Why is making a decision (and acting on it) important?  Continue reading →

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If thy brother wrongs thee, remember not so much his wrong-doing, but more than ever that he is thy brother

Posted on 15 December 2011 by philosiblog

If thy brother wrongs thee, remember not so much his wrong-doing, but more than ever that he is thy brother. – Epictetus

Please don't let a friend suffer alone. Go to them, help them, despite the wrongs that they have done to you.

What does that mean?
This is an old translation which I’d like to make sound a little more modern: “If your friend wrongs you, don’t focus on their wrong-doing, instead focus on the fact that they are your friend, now more than ever.”

This quote is about messing up, and how you should respond to someone who has messed up all over you. It says if a friend or brother does something wrong to you, that you shouldn’t remember the wrong that was done to you as much as you should remember that they are your friend or brother.

When someone screws up, that’s when they need your help the most. Yes, it’s not easy being nice to someone who just got done calling you nasty names or trashing you in front of others. However, that’s usually a clue that they need you more than ever. Ignoring an ‘injury’ was discussed in this blog post.

Why is being there for a friend important?  Continue reading →

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None are more taken in by flattery than the proud, who wish to be the first and are not

Posted on 14 December 2011 by philosiblog

None are more taken in by flattery than the proud, who wish to be the first and are not. – Baruch Spinoza

We told him it would make him the handsomest boy in the class. And for some reason, he believed us.

What does that mean?
This quote talks about flattery and why it works better on some people than on others. Those most easily influenced by flattery, the quote says, are the proud. Their pride really wants to believe what the flatterer has to say.

They are especially vulnerable if they are less than the best, as the flattery allows them to believe that they are actually the best. This is the leverage the flatterer uses to wield influence.

Subtly inferred in this quote is a warning to not be influenced by flattery nor by the flatterer. Knowing this quote, even the proud can have some measure of protection. Hopefully you won’t need such protection, right? 8)

Why is keeping an eye on your desire important?  Continue reading →

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It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?

Posted on 13 December 2011 by philosiblog

It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about? – Henry David Thoreau

Why are ants are so busy, and what are they trying to accomplish? Why are you so busy, and what are you trying to accomplish?

What does that mean?
This quote is straight to the point. It says that being busy isn’t enough. Even ants are busy. How many people do you know who are always busy? While I’m sure some of those people are incredibly productive, how many finish the day exhausted, but with little to show for all their effort? I used to be one of them, but I’m getting better.

The quote finishes by asking us what are we busy about, or what are we trying to accomplish with all this activity? Some people just run around “fighting fires” or use other important sounding terms to describe what they are doing. But without a plan and an idea about where you’re going, you might just be going in circles.

Why is focus important?  Continue reading →

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