Clearly the best time to be alive is when you start out wondering and end up knowing. There is only one generation in the whole history of mankind in that position. Us.”
— Carl Sagan, June 1974
Tag: It.
… can’t really be named, only experienced.
Participatory Solipsism
I am the greatest man in the world; indeed I am so great that I can afford great generosity: I encourage all others to adopt the delusion that they are as great as I. If they truly thought that they were themselves the greatest, they too would be as generous; and then we would all be able to humor each other, in peace, for none would feel threatened by the now-harmless delusions of everyone else.”
— Dr. Philo Drummond (Now go thou and do likewise.)
A Better, More Accurate Substitute for “Have a Nice Day”
ENJOY YOUR TIME.”
— Preferred parting sentiment of a well-known Sonoma shopkeeper
Essence
To be religious means to be honest, kind, and thoughtful. Anyone who lacks these qualities is not religious, no matter how careful one is in ritual observance.”
— Rabbi Marc D. Angel, introducing chapter 6 of Pirkei Avot
Chains
Never allow what you cannot do to control what you can do.”
— Rabbi Avi Weiss
It’s Like This
I believe life’s a mystery; a sacred one. As for faith, that’s a personal and private thing…”
– John Walton Sr.
The Spiritual Seeker’s Ponder
“DO YOU WANT ANSWERS? Or better, more interesting questions?”
Teachable Moment
WHILE HITCHHIKING BETWEEN PLACERVILLE AND South Lake Tahoe in 1985, my ride — who had just unsuccessfully offered a friendly beer — taught me a valuable lesson on which I still reflect constantly: “When you’re on the road, and someone wants to give you something, take it.”
People like to help. So much so, that when you refuse said help, they feel at least disappointed or, at worst, insulted. Whether it’s carrying something, taking something, getting ahead of them in line at the grocery store, or whatever, it makes a vital human connection between otherwise-strangers. We all like to feel needed; and when someone else implies that we’re not, it grouses us on a visceral level.
Here in Lower North America, we pay a good deal of lip-service to the Rugged Individual who’s admonished to “stand on your own two feet.” But that can get lonely after a while. When that loneliness-wall is breached, it feels good — both to the giver and receiver. And who wants to refrain from helping someone feel good?
So the next time you receive an offer of help, accept it with a cheery “Thank you.”. It’s the human thing to do.
5 Thoughts: Toward a Relational Taxonomy
0. THAT’S MY $5-WORDS WAY TO describe a long-held observation regarding how and why people get along together — and sometimes don’t.
1. Here it is: I believe we can interact with each other in one of three ways: Click, Anti-Click, and Clickless. Continue reading “5 Thoughts: Toward a Relational Taxonomy”
“Be It a Rock or a Pebble…”
Be not ashamed to learn truth from any source.”
— Rabbi Shlomo ibn Gabirol (1021-1058)
Pithyism #1234
EVERYTHING — EVERYTHING OF ANY VALUE, anyway — is always “worth a shot.” Continue reading “Pithyism #1234”
Educational Eloquence
IF YOU CAN’T EXPLAIN IT simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
— Albert Einstein