Life’s Tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late. – Benjamin Franklin What does that mean? To me, it is all too true a statement. We get old faster than we get wise. If only we could become wise sooner and old later. The Tragedy, as Ben puts it, is that…
Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy. – Isaac Newton What does that mean? It means that there are two routes that lead to making a point. One makes the point, but alienates the other person(s), the other does not. The trick is that tact is a social skill, which…
Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. – Will Rogers What does that mean? It says you have to actually do something with your life if you want to get somewhere. The expression, by a former cowboy, uses some “western” terms. Being “on the right track” would…
Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much. – Oscar Wilde What does that mean? Well, it seems to be stated as if it were a joke, a mind game to play with your enemies. But it is true, it will annoy them immensely, trust me. I’ve been on both sides of this saying. It is…
By studying others’ viewpoints, it is possible for us to discover new and refreshing perspectives on the world – including our own life. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? To me, this points out the variety in our cultures as humans. We have our own viewpoint, and we have had the bulk of it since birth….
Time heals what reason cannot. – Seneca What does that mean? “Be reasonable about it.” You’ve heard this before, I’d imagine. Something has happened, and you are upset. You eventually calm down and think through the problem. Most of the time you can come to an understanding of what happened and reason prevails. Perhaps it…
Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain – and most fools do. – Dale Carnegie What does that mean? It says that he considers it foolish to criticize, condemn and complain. I agree. Anyone can run their mouth and do the three C’s (criticize, condemn, and complain). And as he states, most fools do just that….
The high-minded man must care more for the truth than for what people think. – Aristotle What does that mean? Once again, we have a translation from ancient Greek that I believe needs a little more help in the translation. At thefreedictionary.com, high-minded is defined as “Characterized by elevated ideals or conduct; noble.” It’s an old…
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. – Plato What does that mean? Children being afraid of the dark, that is a phase most of them go through. However, when grownups are afraid of living their lives in…
No dictator, no invader, can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever. J. Michael Straczynski The longer version of the quote is: “No dictator, no invader, can hold an imprisoned population by the force of arms forever. There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom. Against that power…
To be intelligent is to be open-minded, active, memoried, and persistently experimental. – Leopold Stein and here What does that mean? To achieve this person’s definition of intelligence (presumably translated from German, which appears to be his native language) you have to have a certain set of qualities. To me, they have meanings, within certain allowances for translation of time…
An authentic attitude of compassion doesn’t change, even faced with another person’s negative behavior. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? To me, it says that it’s easy to have what might be called conditional compassion. Compassion for certain people or certain groups of people. And a lack of compassion for other people or groups of…
That which is given with pride and ostentation is rather an ambition than a bounty. – Seneca What does that mean? This is a cautionary warning regarding the receiving of gifts. If they are given to you by someone who is prideful and it is given with great fanfare and flourish, you are most likely being “buttered…
Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia. – Charles Schulz What does that mean? To me, this is a reminder that too many people worry about too many things. How can the world end today? It’s already tomorrow in Australia, and quite a number of other…
Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn’t. – Erica Jong What does that mean? Asking for advice. It is a a desperate cry for help. We have figured out what is happening, and don’t like what it looks like or where it’s going to take us in…
