Wisdom Quotes
"What does it profit a man to have gained the whole
world, and to have lost his soul?" - Jesus Christ
You don't have to be a Christian to see in the words of Jesus
much wisdom. Quotes from men and women around the world, from
the present day or millenniums past, can inspire and instruct
us, regardless of the religious or spiritual tradition they come
from. Nor do the religious or spiritually-oriented have a monopoly
on wisdom. Quotes that strike at the truth of the matter can
come from scoundrels, saints, and ordinary people.
Why Wisdom Quotes?
"There are two great disappointments in life: Not
getting what you want, and getting it." - George
Bernard Shaw
Arguments and philosophies try to "capture" truth
in a net of words to build systems of knowledge, and often to
satisfy egos. Wisdom quotes use words to point at the truth,
so that you can look and see it for yourself. Let me give you
an example.
Imagine hesitating to do what you love for a living, because
you might fail. Now, outside of mathematics, virtually all reasoning
is tainted with rationalization, and whatever your choice, you
can support it with "logical arguments." No wonder
we're often confused and demotivated! We can't trust our own
reasoning, if all it does is find a logical construct for whichever
fear, desire or other feeling is strongest!
Then a quote from Wayne Gretzky points out the obvious: "You
miss 100 percent of the shots you never take." This
hockey metaphor touches you, precisely because it isn't a
logical argument. It simply points at a truth that you can
see for yourself. You won't get anywhere without "taking
that shot." Seeing the truth is far more motivating than
arguing it. That's the value of "wisdom quotes."
Check back soon for more links to pages of wisdom quotes.
Read just a few at a time - they really don't do much for you
if you don't stop to look for the truth they point to.
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