Tag: Buddha

According to the evidence, it seems that effort is futile; everyone and everything I know will fall apart, over the span of eons and millennia.  So what does that leave me with? To try and do the best I can with what’s in front of me, because not only is that practical, it brings me…

I suspect that all systems, all philosophies, all modes of being are simply flavors.  And if one can’t assemble them into a comprehensive meal, then they’re destined to suffer from malnutrition, or even starve.

Like everyone else, I’m angry in a heated conflict, but unless that anger can intimidate and stun, I try and keep it under wraps.  In fact, sometimes I smile at my opponent and pretend to be their friend. Because sometimes, certain people can use your insults to motivate them, so I deny them my anger—they…

(I think this is sound):  all my thinking/strategizing about future possibilities/past occurrences should guide me toward one thing:  to decide what to do in the present moment. Even if it means doing “nothing.”

Much has been made of the slow, steady approach, and much has been made of the impassioned sprint.  From what I’ve seen, both are essential.  If there’s any confusion or ambiguity concerning which to use, the astute problem-solver will consult that age-old compass which simplifies so much of life into a readily apparent course: Effectiveness.

Effective medicine is often bitter.  The sweetness is in the aftermath.

I once knew a writer who held back his best pieces, even when he had the opportunity to present them before a Pulitzer award winner.  As the years passed, he actually held back most of his pieces. Hopefully, this “holding back” mentality will work for him, and in the end, he’ll knock it out of…

The only effective arguments against discipline and strategy are consistent results. Which, over time, are the offspring of discipline and strategy.  So yeah—there’s not really a long-term argument against either of those.

I cater to the animal part of me by striving to ascend the dominance hierarchy (apparently, we’re biologically/psychologically wired to experience fulfillment by making progress in our endeavors), but when it comes time to sleep or kick back with my friends, I use my human cognition to remember that everything will fade soon enough. The…

The times when I know better—or DO better—seem to be when I firmly grasp the reality that I don’t know much at all and work with what’s in front of me, continually assessing the evidence, ensuring that I follow all the clues and align my perception with the environment. That seems to work much better…