I thought it might be fun, edifying, and beneficial to have an ongoing thread filled with quotes and wisdom for daily life.  I am always looking for ways to become a better man and live a more peaceful and tranquil life.  It's absolutely an inside job.  Looking to the wisdom of the past has helped me a lot and continues to do so.  I also get inspiration from modern thinkers like Jocko Willink, Jordan Peterson, et al, but inevitably their wisdom is always rooted in the ancient paths and is applicable to contemporary life. 

I will begin here by quoting from the MEDITATIONS of Marcus Aurelius:

"Mark how fleeting and paltry is the estate of man -- yesterday in embryo, tomorrow a mummy or ashes.  So for the hairsbreadth of time assigned to thee, live rationally, and part with life cheerfully, as drops the ripe olive, extolling the season that bore it and the tree that matured it."

Love that quote, thanks for sharing. Here a favorite of mine:

How dull it is to pause, to make an end, To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!
-  Alfred Lord Tennyson

Quote from: StringPicker6 on July 15, 2023, 10:39:55 AMLove that quote, thanks for sharing. Here a favorite of mine:

How dull it is to pause, to make an end, To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!
-  Alfred Lord Tennyson

That one is great - thanks!  Reminds me of this one from Ben Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack:

"Sloth, like rust, corrodes, while the used key shines the brightest."

Rust never sleeps.

Neil Young

Don't let the sands of time get in your lunch.

Ed

Don't let me down...

keep smilin and keep dancin   :nanadance

I told you about the walrus and me, man
You know that we're as close as can be, man
Well, here's another clue for you all
The walrus was Paul.   :nana_guitar

From Epictetus, Discourses, Book 1:

What is the first business of one who practices philosophy?  To get rid of self-conceit.  For it is impossible for anyone to begin to learn that which he thinks he already knows. 

Quote from: Silence Dogood on July 16, 2023, 08:40:51 AMFrom Epictetus, Discourses, Book 1:

What is the first business of one who practices philosophy?  To get rid of self-conceit.  For it is impossible for anyone to begin to learn that which he thinks he already knows. 

Bob Dylan sang of The Disease of Conceit. Maybe he was reading Ol' Epictetus.

There's a whole lot of people in trouble tonight

From the disease of conceit

Whole lot of people seeing double tonight

From the disease of conceit

Give ya delusions of grandeur

And a evil eye

Give you the idea that

You're too good to die

Then they bury you from your head to your feet

From the disease of conceit

- Bob Dylan

Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.

Quote from: Queequeg on July 19, 2023, 11:14:52 PMBelieve those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.

Good one!

Quote from: Queequeg on July 19, 2023, 11:14:52 PMBelieve those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.

Then what's the point of searching, if nothing can ever be found?   It reminds me of the bit from CS Lewis where he talks about thirst existing because there's such a thing as water. Sure, it doesn't mean we will find water, but it does mean there is such a thing.

Quote from: Silence Dogood on July 20, 2023, 08:38:24 AMThen what's the point of searching, if nothing can ever be found?   It reminds me of the bit from CS Lewis where he talks about thirst existing because there's such a thing as water. Sure, it doesn't mean we will find water, but it does mean there is such a thing.

Nothing can ever be found? (That's not my interpretation.)
It has more to do with curiosity. Always be questioning. Always be discovering, which poses the next puzzle or question.
(But that's just me.)

Quote from: Queequeg on July 20, 2023, 10:40:08 AMNothing can ever be found? (That's not my interpretation.)
It has more to do with curiosity. Always be questioning. Always be discovering, which poses the next puzzle or question.
(But that's just me.)

Exactly. You are basically describing the scientific method. It drives me crazy when I hear anyone say that the debate is over and the science is settled.

Quote from: ducktrapper on July 20, 2023, 10:46:59 AMExactly. You are basically describing the scientific method. It drives me crazy when I hear anyone say that the debate is over and the science is settled.

Don't tell my 5th grade English teacher I said this but science is a verb. It's never settled. It is the process of discovery and always welcomes being refined and even corrected with-or-by new data and/or discoveries.

However, I do believe that Larrivee is close to perfecting the guitar design.  :nana_guitar

Quote from: StringPicker6 on July 20, 2023, 03:15:23 PMHowever, I do believe that Larrivee is close to perfecting the guitar design.  :nana_guitar

Close?  :whistling:

One I've always been fond of,  "Hey you, get off my lawn. :tongue:

Quote from: StringPicker6 on July 20, 2023, 03:15:23 PMHowever, I do believe that Larrivee is close to perfecting the guitar design.  :nana_guitar

Larrivee makes the best guitars in the world.  Glad I could help solve that.
 :wave

Problem solved.  :thumb

Quote from: StringPicker6 on July 21, 2023, 07:34:15 AMProblem solved.  :thumb

There was a problem? This ain't the Taylor Forum.  :laughin:

Hahaahaha!! For some bizarre reason, I have never played a Taylor. I don't know why, but I have no interest in them.  Maybe it's the larrivee effect: it's like I have steak at home, why would I want to go out for a hamburger?

Quote from: StringPicker6 on July 21, 2023, 06:38:52 PMHahaahaha!! For some bizarre reason, I have never played a Taylor. I don't know why, but I have no interest in them.  Maybe it's the larrivee effect: it's like I have steak at home, why would I want to go out for a hamburger?

I've played a few. Some very nice guitars. However, for me, not only are they overpriced (someone has to pay for all that fancy advertising) but they have an image problem. I seem to see a few too many CWT's. Chicks with Taylors.  :laughin:

Regarding Taylor guitars, they are very nice and very popular for good reason.  I have played several that could've easily been lifelong keepers. As an American, I see the Taylor company as a genuine American Dream-type scenario as well.  A fellow starts making guitars in his garage/shop and over the next few decades becomes one of the biggest makers in the world.  Of course that kind of success will always garner a man plenty of haters, but it's to be commended IMO. 

.................................................

As far as Wisdom goes, I was thinking today about THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH, one of my fav novels from CS Lewis.  Here are a couple bits to enjoy:

Mark: "Well, I suppose there are two views on everything."
Bill: "What's that? Two views? There are dozens of views on everything until you know the answer, and then there's never more than one."

During the same conversation:

Bill:
"That's what happens when you study men: you find mares' nests. I happen to believe that you can't study men, you can only get to know them, which is a much different thing."

.........................................................


"Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it."

^^^ Revisiting this idea. I still believe this is self-defeating and the opposite of wisdom.  If truth cannot be found, then the conclusion found in this statement is also untrue and suspect.  (It's like the people who dogmatically deny that dogma exists.)  It really means one can never get anywhere. 

I'll let GK Chesteron straighten it out for you:


"Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid."
 

Quote from: Silence Dogood on July 23, 2023, 07:30:43 AMRegarding Taylor guitars, they are very nice and very popular for good reason.  I have played several that could've easily been lifelong keepers. As an American, I see the Taylor company as a genuine American Dream-type scenario as well.  A fellow starts making guitars in his garage/shop and over the next few decades becomes one of the biggest makers in the world.  Of course that kind of success will always garner a man plenty of haters, but it's to be commended IMO. 

.................................................

As far as Wisdom goes, I was thinking today about THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH, one of my fav novels from CS Lewis.  Here are a couple bits to enjoy:

Mark: "Well, I suppose there are two views on everything."
Bill: "What's that? Two views? There are dozens of views on everything until you know the answer, and then there's never more than one."

During the same conversation:

Bill:
"That's what happens when you study men: you find mares' nests. I happen to believe that you can't study men, you can only get to know them, which is a much different thing."

.........................................................


"Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it."

^^^ Revisiting this idea. I still believe this is self-defeating and the opposite of wisdom.  If truth cannot be found, then the conclusion found in this statement is also untrue and suspect.  (It's like the people who dogmatically deny that dogma exists.)  It really means one can never get anywhere. 

I'll let GK Chesteron straighten it out for you:


"Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid."
 

I think you might be overthinking the quote that's bugging you. Like all philosophical or allegorical statements they break down if over thought.

Chesterton said, before you tear down a fence, you should understand why it was put up in the first place. Not enough of that wisdom going around today. 

Hate is not conquered by hate. Hate is conquered by love. This a law eternal.

- Siddhartha Gautama.

Quote from: ducktrapper on July 28, 2023, 12:49:07 PMHate is not conquered by hate. Hate is conquered by love. This a law eternal.

- Siddhartha Gautama.

So. Marvin Gaye was right?
War is not the answer?
(Somebody didn't get the memo)

Quote from: Queequeg on July 28, 2023, 08:35:16 PMSo. Marvin Gaye was right?
War is not the answer?
(Somebody didn't get the memo)

That's for sure. There seems to be a whole lot of people who used to describe themselves as anti war who are all in on the new one.

I've been doing a John Prine song lately substituting this line. Your Ukraine flag won't get you into heaven anymore. 

Great thread!
My humble contribution; "No matter where you go, there you are." (Anonymous Yooper)

Quote from: Riverbend on July 29, 2023, 07:02:51 AMGreat thread!
My humble contribution; "No matter where you go, there you are." (Anonymous Yooper)

I have always loved this quote and can't tell you how many times I've used it. 

My contribution on this fine Saturday morning will be from Alexander Pope (1688-1744) from 'An Essay On Criticism.'  Here are some various lines in no particular order:

Of all the causes which conspire to blind
Man's erring judgment, and misguide the mind,
What the weak head with strongest bias rules,
Is pride, the never-failing vice of fools.

Words are like leaves; and where they most abound,
Much fruit of sense beneath is rarely found.

At every word a reputation dies.


This one from 'Moral Essays To Mrs M Blount' is one I go back to a lot:

The ruling passion, be it what it will,
The ruling passion conquers reason still.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom"- Solomon

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so. " – Mark Twain

At a young age I learned to appreciate the bits of wisdom like those being shared in this thread. From ancient philosophers to modern scribes, so many more forgotten than remembered, but all with their ability to contribute to the stitches of our life's tapestry. The one's that have tended to stick with me often seem to be the boiled down, reconstituted versions, clean in their simplicity. The one's like Grandma shared at appropriate moments.
"If you treat all your problems like nails, all your solutions tend to be hammers". Thanks Grandma

Quote from: Riverbend on July 30, 2023, 07:27:27 AMAt a young age I learned to appreciate the bits of wisdom like those being shared in this thread. From ancient philosophers to modern scribes, so many more forgotten than remembered, but all with their ability to contribute to the stitches of our life's tapestry. The one's that have tended to stick with me often seem to be the boiled down, reconstituted versions, clean in their simplicity. The one's like Grandma shared at appropriate moments.
"If you treat all your problems like nails, all your solutions tend to be hammers". Thanks Grandma

I like that one.  The way I've heard it most often is: "To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail."

Here is a pretty famous bit from Theodore Roosevelt circa 1910, POTUS 26, and all-around general baddass dude. 

To be clear, the reason I enjoy and wish to acquire more wisdom is because it has had a genuine effect on my life and in many ways has changed my behavior for the better.  I admit, early on when I was younger it was just about ideas and learning things made me feel smart, but somewhere along the way things began to take root and change me.  This is the beauty and value of shared wisdom.

This idea from TR really has changed my life.  If I am ever tempted to criticize someone, I seldom fail to think of this quote and it stops my mouth. 

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Quote from: Silence Dogood on July 30, 2023, 08:36:45 AMHere is a pretty famous bit from Theodore Roosevelt circa 1910, POTUS 26, and all-around general baddass dude. 

To be clear, the reason I enjoy and wish to acquire more wisdom is because it has had a genuine effect on my life and in many ways has changed my behavior for the better.  I admit, early on when I was younger it was just about ideas and learning things made me feel smart, but somewhere along the way things began to take root and change me.  This is the beauty and value of shared wisdom.

This idea from TR really has changed my life.  If I am ever tempted to criticize someone, I seldom fail to think of this quote and it stops my mouth. 

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Wonderful wisdom from TR. What sometimes haunts my consciousness is the feeling that there's at least 4 billion people roaming the planet that have no concept of, nor use for, wisdom that might lead us to a better existence. As for the other +- 4 billion, the idea is debatable.

Quote from: Riverbend on July 30, 2023, 09:18:11 AMWonderful wisdom from TR. What sometimes haunts my consciousness is the feeling that there's at least 4 billion people roaming the planet that have no concept of, nor use for, wisdom that might lead us to a better existence. As for the other +- 4 billion, the idea is debatable.

I realize there is nothing new under the sun (some wisdom from Ecclesiastes there), but this age in which we find ourselves seems to be particularly unwise and highly emotional.  Smartphones, social media, and 24-hour news cycles bent on outraging and instilling as much fear as possible (all for profit) seem to be making it worse.  Modern people can't seem to focus on anything but what excites or upsets them for the moment. 

But at the same time, and as is perennially true, there is a pretty large group of people waking up and seeking a better way.  This site has a growing number of followers (many very young!) and is a great example:

https://dailystoic.com/

I recommend signing up and checking out the podcast as well. 

Quote from: Silence Dogood on July 30, 2023, 08:25:56 AMI like that one.  The way I've heard it most often is: "To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail."

I own several hammers and it's just not true. However, if your only tool is a hammer ...

Quote from: Silence Dogood on July 30, 2023, 08:36:45 AMHere is a pretty famous bit from Theodore Roosevelt circa 1910, POTUS 26, and all-around general baddass dude. 

To be clear, the reason I enjoy and wish to acquire more wisdom is because it has had a genuine effect on my life and in many ways has changed my behavior for the better.  I admit, early on when I was younger it was just about ideas and learning things made me feel smart, but somewhere along the way things began to take root and change me.  This is the beauty and value of shared wisdom.

This idea from TR really has changed my life.  If I am ever tempted to criticize someone, I seldom fail to think of this quote and it stops my mouth. 

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Very true but that's not to say that criticism is never valid, constructive or worthwhile. People who don't do well with any criticism whatsoever are likely to be narcissists. People who do nothing but criticize are just a P.I.T.A.  :laughin:

Quote from: ducktrapper on July 30, 2023, 10:54:56 AMVery true but that's not to say that criticism is never valid, constructive or worthwhile. People who don't do well with any criticism whatsoever are likely to be narcissists. People who do nothing but criticize are just a P.I.T.A.  :laughin:

All valid points.  In the Book of Proverbs, the very definition of a fool is one who hates being corrected.  I'm not uncritical of all things, but I generally avoid criticizing folks with skin in the game in any given set of circumstances.  Most times if I don't like something, I usually just say nothing.

"Let thy discontents be secrets."
-Ben Franklin

Quote from: Silence Dogood on July 30, 2023, 11:17:02 AMAll valid points.  In the Book of Proverbs, the very definition of a fool is one who hates being corrected.  I'm not uncritical of all things, but I generally avoid criticizing folks with skin in the game in any given set of circumstances.  Most times if I don't like something, I usually just say nothing.

"Let thy discontents be secrets."
-Ben Franklin

My wife gave me a pair of socks with "Giant Music Snob" printed on them.  :laughin:

Its funny though. A person I worked with once said to me, "You don't like anything." I responded by asking how many albums they owned. They said, "Maybe a hundred". I said, "I have thousands."

I still don't get the massive appeal of Taylor Swift's music.  :bgrin:

Quote from: StringPicker6 on July 31, 2023, 11:32:36 AMI still don't get the massive appeal of Taylor Swift's music.  :bgrin:

I thought we'd determined that it had something to do with her legs.  :nanadance

https://www.justjared.com/photo-gallery/3322710/taylor-swift-reportedly-insures-her-legs-for-40-million-01/

Quote from: ducktrapper on July 31, 2023, 09:38:47 PMhttps://www.justjared.com/photo-gallery/3322710/taylor-swift-reportedly-insures-her-legs-for-40-million-01/

"Anyone who says he can see through women is missing a lot." Groucho Marx

I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.

- Hunter S. Thompson

 :ohmy:  :ph34r:  :cheers

Quote from: ducktrapper on August 01, 2023, 11:47:40 AMI hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.

- Hunter S. Thompson

 :ohmy:  :ph34r:  :cheers

More humor than wisdom?  :whistling:

Quote from: ducktrapper on August 02, 2023, 12:04:24 PMMore humor than wisdom?  :whistling:

Kind of like Tom Waits..."I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy."

Quote from: Riverbend on August 02, 2023, 06:42:59 PMKind of like Tom Waits..."I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy."

Common sense.  :beer

I have loved this bit from Longfellow for years. 

Look not mournfully into the Past.  It comes not back again.  Wisely improve the Present.  It is thine.  Go forth to meet the shadowy Future, without fear, and with a manly heart.


Here are some gems from Mark Twain.  Enjoy!

Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example. 

Be good and you will be lonesome. 

When in doubt, tell the truth. 

It is easier to stay out than get out. 

"Classic"- a book which people praise and don't read. 

Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have someone to divide it with.

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear -- not absence of fear.

Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits.

You get more of what you allow and less of what you don't. - anon

"One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words."
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe 1749-1832

"Advice is seldom welcome; and those who want it most always like it least."
Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield 1694-1773

"No man ever repented that he arose from the table sober, healthful, and with his wits about him."
Bishop Jeremy Taylor 1613-1667

"Count that day lost whose low descending sun
 Views from thy hand no worthy action done."
 -Anon

Oh she may be weary
Them young girls they do get wearied
Wearing that same old shaggy dress, yeah, yeah
But when she gets weary
Try a little tenderness

Written by Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly and Harry M. Woods

Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things.

I came across this old one in my book of quotations this AM.  It has proven true in my own life.

Sow a thought, and you reap an act;
Sow an act, and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character;
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.

Another anonymous saying:

Man is the only animal that eats when he is not hungry, drinks when he is not thirsty, and makes love at all seasons.

An old New England saying I've come back to many times over the years:

Use it up, wear it out;
make it do, or do without.

Another old and anonymous one:

Education is what you have left over after you have forgotten everything you have learned. 

Your responsibility is to tell the truth, not the facts, necessarily. It could be the facts, but it's basically the truth. That means being a truthful person.

You can't tell the truth in your work if you don't tell the truth in your life. So I encourage you to be scrupulous in your truth ethic.

Even when no one's looking - especially when no one's looking. Just for yourself.
-Rosanne Cash

Quote from: Queequeg on August 28, 2023, 10:25:38 AMYour responsibility is to tell the truth, not the facts, necessarily. It could be the facts, but it's basically the truth. That means being a truthful person.

You can't tell the truth in your work if you don't tell the truth in your life. So I encourage you to be scrupulous in your truth ethic.

Even when no one's looking - especially when no one's looking. Just for yourself.
-Rosanne Cash

Good advice especially in this day and age when we are perpetually bombarded by lies, misled by misinformation and propagandized up the wazoo from all directions.

If Dogs Run Free
WRITTEN BY: BOB DYLAN

If dogs run free, then why not we

Across the swooping plain?

My ears hear a symphony

Of two mules, trains and rain

The best is always yet to come

That's what they explain to me

Just do your thing, you'll be king

If dogs run free



If dogs run free, why not me

Across the swamp of time?

My mind weaves a symphony

And tapestry of rhyme

Oh, winds which rush my tale to thee

So it may flow and be

To each his own, it's all unknown

If dogs run free



If dogs run free, then what must be

Must be, and that is all

True love can make a blade of grass

Stand up straight and tall

In harmony with the cosmic sea

True love needs no company

It can cure the soul, it can make it whole

If dogs run free

Quote from: Queequeg on August 28, 2023, 10:25:38 AMYour responsibility is to tell the truth, not the facts, necessarily. It could be the facts, but it's basically the truth. That means being a truthful person.

You can't tell the truth in your work if you don't tell the truth in your life. So I encourage you to be scrupulous in your truth ethic.

Even when no one's looking - especially when no one's looking. Just for yourself.
-Rosanne Cash

"Where thou art obliged to speak, be sure to speak the Truth: for Equivocation is half way to Lying, as Lying, the whole way to Hell."
William Penn, Some Fruits of Solitude

"Tell the truth, or at least don't lie."
Jordan Peterson

"Live not by lies."
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

"A lie can travel around the world and back again while the truth is lacing up its boots."— Mark Twain.

Fatique is the best pillow - Ben Franklin

Quote from: JOYCEfromNS on August 28, 2023, 08:24:23 PMFatique is the best pillow - Ben Franklin

Nice one.  I also like his "Hunger is the best sauce" one.  Good old Ben!

A few gems I've stumbled across of late:

"Do it or do not do it -- you will regret both."
Soren Kierkegaard

"The reason for evil in the world is that people are not able to tell their stories."
Carl Jung
(Side note: I'd like to see this one more in context to get my head more fully wrapped around it.  Jung was no lightweight so I'm sure there's a lot more to this one.  Still, it made me think all the same.)

"It is fruitless to wish you had started years ago.  In the future you will wish you had started today."
Unknown

I really enjoyed this one in particular:
"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence."
Robert Frost

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things."
Henry Miller

"Mostly it is loss which teaches us about the worth of things."
Arthur Schopenhauer

Which reminded me of this gem from G.K. Chesterton that I go back to a lot:
"The way to love a thing is to realize it might be lost."

The fruit takes a long time to ripen, but it falls suddenly.
-ancient proverb

If the sh*t fits, wear it. - Raoul Duke (Hunter S Thompson) 

I walk around like everything is fine,
But deep down, inside my shoe,
My sock is sliding off.
-unknown

Quote from: Queequeg on September 14, 2023, 03:16:25 PMI walk around like everything is fine,
But deep down, inside my shoe,
My sock is sliding off.
-unknown

Yep. Sounds like something John Prine might say.

*** It is not my intention to start a religious discussion/debate here.

I've been spending quite a bit of time in the Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes.  Spiritual content aside, it's just amazing how much one can learn about life in general, human nature, the smallness of man in the grand scheme, the impact and lack thereof our our choices, etc., from reading this book.  It just explains to one how life actually works. 

During my lunchtime walks I've been enjoying the KJV of this book read by a wonderful female British reader (why is everything better read by a Brit female?):  https://youtu.be/B1hd7ydxBzs?feature=shared   I thought some here might enjoy. 

I wish I'd not have had to put that disclaimer atop this response, but I know any talk of the Bible can get heated.  That's a shame because, religion aside, the Bible is one of the foundations of Western Civilization and no person (and certainly no true lover of Literature) can be considered educated without at least some knowledge and understanding of it.  Also, as a lover of books, the written word, etc., the KJV is one of the most beautiful pieces of writing the world has ever seen. 

Quote from: Silence Dogood on September 16, 2023, 08:11:53 AM*** It is not my intention to start a religious discussion/debate here.

I've been spending quite a bit of time in the Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes.  Spiritual content aside, it's just amazing how much one can learn about life in general, human nature, the smallness of man in the grand scheme, the impact and lack thereof our our choices, etc., from reading this book.  It just explains to one how life actually works. 

During my lunchtime walks I've been enjoying the KJV of this book read by a wonderful female British reader (why is everything better read by a Brit female?):  https://youtu.be/B1hd7ydxBzs?feature=shared   I thought some here might enjoy. 

I wish I'd not have had to put that disclaimer atop this response, but I know any talk of the Bible can get heated.  That's a shame because, religion aside, the Bible is one of the foundations of Western Civilization and no person (and certainly no true lover of Literature) can be considered educated without at least some knowledge and understanding of it.  Also, as a lover of books, the written word, etc., the KJV is one of the most beautiful pieces of writing the world has ever seen. 

It's a good one. As an aside, I've often thought that Pete Seeger's Turn, Turn, Turn misses the point of the original. While he sings that there is a season for everything, he longs for there not to be a season for everything. Plus, as usual, Ol' Pete gets away with plagiarism and not having to share the dough.  :roll 

You know, that's a really interesting observation about Seeger's take on Turn, etc.  I've never seen it that way before.  I always thought it was just really beautiful how that passage was put to music.  But the more I learned about Seeger personally (and Woody Guthrie), the more their own personal philosophies made it hard for me to enjoy their art.  Of course, if they'd not seen fit to pontificate I'd have been none the wiser, but I've always disliked music as a platform for one's personal agenda.  On a more positive note though, I did admire how Seeger built his own house with his own hands and seemed to live a pretty simple life. He seemed to practice as he preached.  I never learned anything about Woody Guthrie that made me able to admire him. 

Quote from: ducktrapper on September 16, 2023, 08:45:50 AMPlus, as usual, Ol' Pete gets away with plagiarism and not having to share the dough.  :roll 

To who (or "whom") did Pete Seeger owe royalties? (I'm not cross-examining you; merely asking from the perspective of my own ignorance.)
And I know you are an avid Dylan devotee. You're very likely aware that similar claims have been made regarding RZ.

Quote from: Silence Dogood on September 16, 2023, 09:45:44 AMYou know, that's a really interesting observation about Seeger's take on Turn, etc.  I've never seen it that way before.  I always thought it was just really beautiful how that passage was put to music.  But the more I learned about Seeger personally (and Woody Guthrie), the more their own personal philosophies made it hard for me to enjoy their art.  Of course, if they'd not seen fit to pontificate I'd have been none the wiser, but I've always disliked music as a platform for one's personal agenda.  On a more positive note though, I did admire how Seeger built his own house with his own hands and seemed to live a pretty simple life. He seemed to practice as he preached.  I never learned anything about Woody Guthrie that made me able to admire him. 

Years ago I had a chance to spend some one-on-one time with Pete Seeger, I was never a big fan, for the same reason that Silence Dogood states. "always disliked music as a platform for one's personal agenda."
For this same reason, Bob Dylan's later work appealed to me more that the earlier political stuff.
And for quite some time I listen to and play mostly instrumentals.
Some sound comes so heavily laden with intention that you can't hear it for the intentions.
This is the great problem of lyrics... they always impose something that is so unmysterious.
-Brian Eno

I don't enjoy being pushed while I'm listening. I like music which lets me do my own listening.
-John Cage

Quote from: Queequeg on September 16, 2023, 10:51:24 AMTo who (or "whom") did Pete Seeger owe royalties? (I'm not cross-examining you; merely asking from the perspective of my own ignorance.)
And I know you are an avid Dylan devotee. You're very likely aware that similar claims have been made regarding RZ.Years ago I had a chance to spend some one-on-one time with Pete Seeger, I was never a big fan, for the same reason that Silence Dogood states. "always disliked music as a platform for one's personal agenda."
For this same reason, Bob Dylan's later work appealed to me more that the earlier political stuff.
And for quite some time I listen to and play mostly instrumentals.
Some sound comes so heavily laden with intention that you can't hear it for the intentions.
This is the great problem of lyrics... they always impose something that is so unmysterious.
-Brian Eno

I don't enjoy being pushed while I'm listening. I like music which lets me do my own listening.
-John Cage

In recent years I've also gotten a lot more interested in instrumental music.  The thing I began to notice is how many songs are about human misery in one form or another.  I get it: music is often an outlet for pain.  But so much of it is just dark and depressing and I don't like that in my life anymore.   Just try and look for music of excellence that is at the same time happy, uplifting, and not corny.  It's very hard to do.  As an example, I'm a big fan of the Irish family group The Corrs.  Their music is great on its own, but it's also generally pretty happy stuff. 

Quote from: Queequeg on September 16, 2023, 10:51:24 AMTo who (or "whom") did Pete Seeger owe royalties? (I'm not cross-examining you; merely asking from the perspective of my own ignorance.)
And I know you are an avid Dylan devotee. You're very likely aware that similar claims have been made regarding RZ.Years ago I had a chance to spend some one-on-one time with Pete Seeger, I was never a big fan, for the same reason that Silence Dogood states. "always disliked music as a platform for one's personal agenda."
For this same reason, Bob Dylan's later work appealed to me more that the earlier political stuff.
And for quite some time I listen to and play mostly instrumentals.
Some sound comes so heavily laden with intention that you can't hear it for the intentions.
This is the great problem of lyrics... they always impose something that is so unmysterious.
-Brian Eno

I don't enjoy being pushed while I'm listening. I like music which lets me do my own listening.
-John Cage

The Lion Sleeps Tonight was taken from Mbube written and recorded by Solomon Lindo who never saw a dime from the millions in royalties his song made for others including Seeger and The Weavers. Like the cut the cord incident at Newport, Seeger has obfuscated or claimed ignorance over whether he knew this or that he sent Lindo some cash or instructed his royalties go to him or his estate. And of course, the author(s) of Ecclesiastes only got credit.
Like you, I'm not a big fan of overtly political songs, at least not partisan ones, and prefer the electric Dylan for the most part. I saw Billy Bragg at The Winnipeg Folk Festival in 2006 or so. He spent most of his gig on the main stage ranting about George Bush. A Brit lecturing Canadians about an American politician. What a waste of time and breath. I yelled out, "Put it in a song!" and was almost attacked by a hippy. Strange days indeed. Oh and he was terrible when he did play a song so maybe it's better he ranted.  :yak:     

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_Sleeps_Tonight

Quote from: ducktrapper on September 16, 2023, 11:12:52 AMThe Lion Sleeps Tonight was taken from Mbube written and recorded by Solomon Lindo who never saw a dime from the millions in royalties his song made for others including Seeger and The Weavers. Like the cut the cord incident at Newport, Seeger has obfuscated or claimed ignorance over whether he knew this or that he sent Lindo some cash or instructed his royalties go to him or his estate. And of course, the author(s) of Ecclesiastes only got credit.
Like you, I'm not a big fan of overtly political songs, at least not partisan ones, and prefer the electric Dylan for the most part. I saw Billy Bragg at The Winnipeg Folk Festival in 2006 or so. He spent most of his gig on the main stage ranting about George Bush. A Brit lecturing Canadians about an American politician. What a waste of time and breath. I yelled out, "Put it in a song!" and was almost attacked by a hippy. Strange days indeed. Oh and he was terrible when he did play a song so maybe it's better he ranted.  :yak:     

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_Sleeps_Tonight

I have never been one to connect with protest/political songs (even when I agree with the message).  Most of the time they will only ever pigeon-hole the artist.  There is one that recently blew up called "Rich Men North of Richmond" by a young dude called Oliver Anthony.  It will be very hard for him to ever be seen as a legit musician rather than the guy who song that one song about rich guys. 

For a time I was into the band Wilco, and they did an album with Billy Bragg of Woody Guthrie songs.  I picked up a copy at my local library and checked it out.  I have to admit that "California Stars" was a really good track, but the rest of it, for me, was very unmemorable.  I think Bragg even paints things on his guitar like Woody Guthrie did.   
 :?

Side note and observation: 
This will be worth about what you paid for it, but here is my take on people who protest and rant about things.  The main thing about these people is that they are angry, and angry people can never really be satisfied or helped.  Even if the things they are protesting about were to be solved in the way they claim that they want them solved, it wouldn't be enough, because the thing they really enjoy is being angry and upset.  If the thing got solved, they would lose their identity and their raison d'etre.  They'd soon be bored to tears and would then have to get upset about something else.  That's why I think protest songs, by in large, are disingenuous and are usually just a reason for angry people to rant. 

Reminds me of the bit from James Allen: "Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves."

"Sit loosely in the saddle of life."  - Robert Louis Stevenson

Quote from: Silence Dogood on September 17, 2023, 06:51:04 AMReminds me of the bit from James Allen: "Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves."

Exactly what Jordan Peterson talks about. When young people rant about changing the world, he asks them if they made their bed this morning. Very Zen.

Quote from: ducktrapper on September 17, 2023, 08:44:08 AMExactly what Jordan Peterson talks about. When you young people rant about changing the world, he asks them if they made their bed this morning. Very Zen.

Count me in as a big fan of Peterson.  He has taught me a lot.  And all the right people hate him. 
 :wave

"Wisdom is a shelter, as money is a shelter. But the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor." King Solomon

Quote from: ducktrapper on September 16, 2023, 11:12:52 AMAnd of course, the author(s) of Ecclesiastes only got credit.

Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon, or so I am led to believe. I'm not a biblical scholar, myself, but I might have thought that the Good King's copyright protection would have expired by now and the passage in question (along with all the rest of it) would have entered the realm of the Public Domain.
But I suppose Kings can write whatever copyright laws they wish extending to the end of time, till a' the seas gang dry, and the rocks melt wi' the sun: if they so choose.
If I had more time (or interest) I'd scour the records to see if King James ever paid royalties to Solomon or the other original biblical authors. But lacking both, I will go out on a limb now and assume that James didn't bother with any of that at all.
Kings can get away with all of that kind of thing, you know. I suspect he had a ghost writer anyway; the archbishop of Canterbury perhaps? And King James stole all the credit from him too; the scoundrel!

Quote from: Queequeg on September 19, 2023, 07:43:59 PMEcclesiastes was written by King Solomon, or so I am led to believe. I'm not a biblical scholar, myself, but I might have thought that the Good King's copyright protection would have expired by now and the passage in question (along with all the rest of it) would have entered the realm of the Public Domain.
But I suppose Kings can write whatever copyright laws they wish extending to the end of time, till a' the seas gang dry, and the rocks melt wi' the sun: if they so choose.
If I had more time (or interest) I'd scour the records to see if King James ever paid royalties to Solomon or the other original biblical authors. But lacking both, I will go out on a limb now and assume that James didn't bother with any of that at all.
Kings can get away with all of that kind of thing, you know. I suspect he had a ghost writer anyway; the archbishop of Canterbury perhaps? And King James stole all the credit from him too; the scoundrel!

Sure. But that doesn't let Seeger off the hook with Lindo. Not in my book anyway.
I admit I just plain don't like him and think he was a gigantic phony so ... there you have it.  :ohmy:

Quote from: ducktrapper on September 19, 2023, 09:39:14 PMSure. But that doesn't let Seeger off the hook with Lindo. Not in my book anyway.
I admit I just plain don't like him and think he was a gigantic phony so ... there you have it.  :ohmy:

And I wouldn't dream of trying to change your mind about that nor anything else, for that matter.

Quote from: Queequeg on September 19, 2023, 09:54:52 PMAnd I wouldn't dream of trying to change your mind about that nor anything else, for that matter.

Why not? Minds are meant to be changed. As for Seeger, the incident at Newport soured me on him. Wanting to silence Dylan just showed him to be the Stalinist I suspected him to be. But I'm open to to argument.  :cheers

Quote from: ducktrapper on September 19, 2023, 10:23:05 PMWhy not? Minds are meant to be changed. As for Seeger, the incident at Newport soured me on him. Wanting to silence Dylan just showed him to be the Stalinist I suspected him to be. But I'm open to to argument.  :cheers

A couple of reasons. First, as I stated earlier, I'm not a fan of Seeger's music. I met him once and we had an interesting conversation which didn't involve politics.
And whatever you may think of Pete Seeger is of no consequence to me. Your long-standing opinion seems both reasoned and firmly entrenched.
So call him a Stalinist or a Satanist or a saint.
Second, you stated that minds are meant to be changed.
True enough, and the mind I am primarily focused on for enrichment and/or development is mine. And I assure you, that's no easy task; a heavy lift requiring my full attention.
 :cheers

Quote from: Queequeg on September 20, 2023, 06:49:41 AMA couple of reasons. First, as I stated earlier, I'm not a fan of Seeger's music. I met him once and we had an interesting conversation which didn't involve politics.
And whatever you may think of Pete Seeger is of no consequence to me. Your long-standing opinion seems both reasoned and firmly entrenched.
So call him a Stalinist or a Satanist or a saint.
Second, you stated that minds are meant to be changed.
True enough, and the mind I am primarily focused on for enrichment and/or development is mine. And I assure you, that's no easy task; a heavy lift requiring my full attention.
 :cheers

Right you are. I've changed my mind on several subjects over the years. Facts over claims!  :beer

The thing about Seeger or anyone else who sings "protest" songs, to me, is that it seems disingenuous and more like a call for attention to themselves rather than the cause.  I mean, just think if what they are complaining about were to actually get solved: they be out of a job. 

Well, Pete's been gone quite a while now but we don't seem to be in any danger of running out of issues for folks to protest.
As long as it's peaceful, I have no problem with it.
But that's just me.

Bumping this up in case anyone is interested...

One of the best books I read in the last couple years was Viktor Frankl's MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING.  In fact, I read it twice, back to back. I often reread books but hardly ever back to back like that.  I'll post some of the notes I jotted down from the book.  I can't really recommend reading it enough.  Frankl's story of surviving the Holocaust is both fascinating and inspiring.  His glimpses into human nature are as helpful and interesting as anything I've ever come across.

..............................................

"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing, the last of the human freedoms: to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

"Life is like being at the dentist: you always think the worst is still to come, and yet it is already over."

"Freedom is only part of the story and half the truth.  Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibility.  Freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibility."  (Taken to its conclusion, Frankl is telling us that responsibility is what actually brings meaning to our lives, not just "freedom".) 

This is one of his ideas that I've spent a long time pondering in particular:

"Live as if you were living already for the second time, and as if you had acted as wrongly as you are about to act now."

Another very powerful idea:

"Stop asking about the meaning of life; instead picture life asking something of you.  Stop seeing the future as a place with nothing to look forward to; look instead for the people and things that will need something from you then."

"Man does not need a tension-less state: rather he needs the struggling and the striving for a worthwhile goal, a freely-chosen task."

From Tolstoy:

"Remember how passionately you yearned in the past for many of the things which you hate or despise now. Remember how many things you lost trying to satisfy your former desires. The same thing could happen now with the desires which excite you at present.  Try to tame your present desires, calm them; this is most beneficial, and most achievable."

I bought that Viktor Frankl book, but never read it. I need to start it tonight. Thanks for reminding me.

Quote from: StringPicker6 on June 23, 2025, 12:42:16 PMI bought that Viktor Frankl book, but never read it. I need to start it tonight. Thanks for reminding me.

It's a very powerful read.  It's flat out amazing what people can endure.  Many times we are much stronger and more capable than we realize. 

Got the book out and plan to crack it open tonight.

Wisdom can also come from very unexpected places.  Here is one of the most astute observations of the human condition that just happened to be contained in a great rock and roll song:

"God, it's so painful when something that is so close, is still so far out of reach..."
 - Tom Petty

I like to call this "Shakespeare with a Telecaster."  It's simply one of the most profound things ever penned in a song IMO. 

Tom Petty had another amazing lyric from his Highway Companion ablum in the song Crawling Back to You:  "Most things I worry about never happen anyway."

I recall talking with a wise old man and mentor of mine about coworkers spending all their extra money on lottery tickets and he said, "Your chances of winning the lottery are almost identical, whether you buy a ticket or not."

It may or may not be "wisdom", but it sure was clever. And, true.

Quote from: StringPicker6 on June 29, 2025, 10:31:04 AMTom Petty had another amazing lyric from his Highway Companion ablum in the song Crawling Back to You:  "Most things I worry about never happen anyway."

That's great.  Reminds me of the old one:

"You've spoiled all your todays worrying about your tomorrows."

Quote from: B0WIE on June 29, 2025, 10:43:09 AMI recall talking with a wise old man and mentor of mine about coworkers spending all their extra money on lottery tickets and he said, "Your chances of winning the lottery are almost identical, whether you buy a ticket or not." I would absolutely call that wisdom.

It may or may not be "wisdom", but it sure was clever. And, true.

Heard a really good guitar-related one on the SCGC podcast today. Richard Hoover said, "Don't EVER think you're getting a better sounding guitar because you get a more expensive wood."
Pretty meaningful statement when you consider the guy sold a $90,000 guitar this year.

That should make anyone with a 03 series Larrivee very happy to hear!

He is no fool, who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.

Be patient and tough. Someday this pain will be useful to you.
-Ovid
43BC-17AD

Quote from: Strings4Him on July 05, 2025, 11:53:54 AMHe is no fool, who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.

RIP Jim Elliot and the others.   They lived that quote...

"Education is what you get when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get when you don't." Pete Seeger

"Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're standing 1,000 miles from the cornfield." Dwight D. Eisenhower to a group of farmers in Peoria, IL in 1956.

"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
― Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning

Quote from: teh on July 07, 2025, 08:58:01 PM"Education is what you get when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get when you don't." Pete Seeger

"Experience keeps a dear school, and fools with learn in no other."
Ben Franklin

On the subject of education, "Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything one learned in school."
Variations on that have been attributed to Einstein.

Similiar to a quote attributed to Mark Twain: I never let my education get in the way of my learning. Not sure if he really said that?

"There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion"
-Sir Francis Bacon
I've always felt very strongly about that, though I'd never heard that quote until I was in my 40's.

Quote from: B0WIE on July 12, 2025, 08:04:37 PM"There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion"
-Sir Francis Bacon
I've always felt very strongly about that, though I'd never heard that quote until I was in my 40's.

For some reason, this reminded me of the old saying: "No joy without annoy." 

The following is a powerful quote from John Steinbeck's great novel, The Grapes of Wrath.  It's also a wonderful example of why I enjoy reading older books by author's from another time.  You really don't hear men talk like this anymore. 

"Men stood by their fences and looked at the ruined corn, drying fast now, only a little green showing through the film of dust. The men were silent and they did not move often. And the women came out of the houses to stand beside their men—to feel whether this time the men would break. The women studied the men's faces secretly, for the corn could go, as long as something else remained. The children stood near by, drawing figures in the dust with bare toes, and the children sent exploring senses out to see whether men and women would break. The children peeked at the faces of the men and women, and then drew careful lines in the dust with their toes. Horses came to the watering troughs and nuzzled the water to clear the surface dust. After a while the faces of the watching men lost their bemused perplexity and became hard and angry and resistant. Then the women knew that they were safe and that there was no break. Then they asked, What'll we do? And the men replied, I don't know. But it was all right. The women knew it was all right, and the watching children knew it was all right. Women and children knew deep in themselves that no misfortune was too great to bear if their men were whole."

"Pain is a good thing." KMP

"A dollar earned gives it value."

Quote from: broKen on August 16, 2025, 08:07:24 PM"Pain is a good thing." KMP

"A dollar earned gives it value."

I agree that we seem to learn more from pain than we do from the good times.  It's not a pleasant truth but the world seems to be wired up this way.  My old dad used to say, "To suffer will make you tougher."

Quote from: Silence Dogood on August 17, 2025, 08:48:52 AMI agree that we seem to learn more from pain than we do from the good times.  It's not a pleasant truth but the world seems to be wired up this way.  My old dad used to say, "To suffer will make you tougher."

It's not a philosophical observation. Years ago Dr. Paul Brandt gave his life and service to people who suffer from leprosy. He and Philip Yancey teamed up to write a book about his knowledge and experience. Fearfully and Wonderfully Made is

Quote from: Silence Dogood on August 17, 2025, 08:48:52 AMI agree that we seem to learn more from pain than we do from the good times.  It's not a pleasant truth but the world seems to be wired up this way.  My old dad used to say, "To suffer will make you tougher."

It's not a philosophical observation. Years ago Dr. Paul Brandt gave his life and service to people suffering from leprosy. He and Philip Yancy wrote a book entitled Fearfully and Wonderfully Made. Check it out, I think you will like it.

Quote from: broKen on August 17, 2025, 12:30:30 PMIt's not a philosophical observation. Years ago Dr. Paul Brandt gave his life and service to people who suffer from leprosy. He and Philip Yancey teamed up to write a book about his knowledge and experience. Fearfully and Wonderfully Made is
It's not a philosophical observation. Years ago Dr. Paul Brandt gave his life and service to people suffering from leprosy. He and Philip Yancy wrote a book entitled Fearfully and Wonderfully Made. Check it out, I think you will like it.

I read a couple of Yancey's books years ago when I was going through phase of reading books like that.  He seems like a solid guy. 

I'm no fan of Yancy,,,the content of the book is very compelling though.

Quote from: broKen on August 17, 2025, 03:28:25 PMI'm no fan of Yancy,,,the content of the book is very compelling though.

Yeah, I don't really read books like that anymore.  During one of my "searching" phases of life several books like that landed on my shelf. 

"That's what happens when you study men: you find mare's nests. I happen to believe that you can't study men; you can only get to know them, which is quite a different thing."

from That Hideous Strength, C.S. Lewis

If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman. If you don't want anything said or done, ask a cat.  :roll

Don't sweat the petty stuff...

- and don't pet the sweaty stuff.

I want, therefore I am.
                  KMP

I also want.  :nana_guitar

"Contentment is a continual feast."

-Irish wisdom

"It's not the opportunities I miss that matter, it's the ones I catch."
-Frances Ford Coppola

"That which costs little is less valued" Miguel de Cervantes

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." I don't know who said this but it's worth remembering.

Happiness is not a right, and it requires effort.  KMP

Quote from: teh on September 20, 2025, 05:58:34 AM"That which costs little is less valued" Miguel de Cervantes

Sounds like the dollar...

"Be suspicious of men or women who say you deserve everything, because you don't."
-Mike Rowe

I thought of this one as I tossed a half-eaten loaf of bread in the trash last night:

"All waste is wickedness."

In hindsight, I should have tossed it outside for the birds. 

DON'T grow old.
from an old man that can't seem to grow old in mind, :wave

"All things are the property of the wise." Diogenes
(Ok, I don't personally classify that as "wisdom", but it's definitely clever.)

John Wayne: 'Talk low, talk slow and don't say too much.'

Human effort is the greatest resource on the face of the earth. KMP