Tag: Thoughts

“What do you do when everyone’s against you, when no one’s looking, or you want to quit?” I think this is the right question to ask if you want to determine whether someone embodies their convictions under adverse circumstances.

When I was younger, I believed that ethical principles alone could carry me to victory, but as I grew older, my observations on adversity have led me to change my opinion. I now believe that civilization is fragile, and that the ability to achieve a positive result is what allows us the option to behave…

The easy (and long-term dangerous) way to earn trust is by getting people to like you; it’s easy to fall out of “like” with someone. The harder (and long-term safer) way to earn trust is by continually backing claims with ethics-bounded results.  While people may not like you, they will always respect you, and that…

“How do I say the same truths that’ve been said over and over, and imbue them with a charge of magnetic resonance?  How do I embody these truths, so when they spill from my lips, they don’t come across as empty platitudes?”   —age-old questions faced by all storytellers.

If one is fortunate and strong enough to survive the experience, I believe that the death of all hope can be an unexpected segue into unprecedented greatness.

The higher realms [of success and fortune] seem to necessitate a corresponding increase in timeless qualities (which are often the initial cause for entrance into those very realms in the first place)…qualities like discipline, strategic thinking, honesty with oneself, compassion, humility—all those qualities echoed throughout countless stories and myths. In other words, if I happen…

While I’m not smart (or patient) enough to understand the math, I love the implications drawn by astronomy and physics; they’ve helped me accept how small and insignificant I truly am. And my God is it a relief—things are a hell of a lot easier/enjoyable when I’m not bogged down by delusions of grandeur, or…

From what I’ve seen, many people will indulge in short term gratification rather than long term fulfillment.  I believe this can be incredibly comforting for an outmatched individual, for that individual can make up for a good degree of disadvantage by exercising discipline. They can be that rare person who is willing to enact one of…

“How much of this?  How much of that?  When is it too much and when is it too little?” These questions seem to apply to nearly every “good” and “bad” quality/activity I can think of.  The best answer I have found to them is:  do enough or as little of everything I need to bring…

To be at peace, I have often found it necessary to go to war with my inner weaknesses.  Then, after I have allotted them the space they warrant within my head and my heart, I make friends with them, and either allow them reign when I deem it appropriate, or put them to work for…