I like to read quotes and sayings. People certainly have some wise things to say. I like it when things are succinct. That is not always possible but I find it an admirable quality. There is a time for speech making and a time to just say what it is you what to say. It is just a matter of preference I suppose. For me, however, the longer the explanation the more likely I am to become disinterested and lose my way. On the other hand, short explanations or statements are far more open to interpretation or misunderstanding. The fewer the lines the more can be read between them.
Maybe this fondness for quotes and sayings come from my youth. My great grandfather said little but when he spoke people listened. He often had a cigar in his mouth,although he seldom lit it, and would just sit and listen. After a bit he would take that cigar out of his mouth, say a few words, and that was that. Usually not more than a half dozen words or so. Short ,to the point, and some would say abrupt. I always admired his ability to just state a fact and leave it at that. I do realize that that was back in the day when others did respect their elders, so any contradictions to him where kept to a minimum. I also knew a few farmers that were the same way. Some would say it was the common folks and they talked common sense. I would have to agree with that assessment. Those that thought themselves above the common man had a tendency to pontificate on just about every subject. I was always left wondering who they were trying to convince, themselves or me ?
I remember a lot of the adages my parents and others used. I find truth in them every day. Yes they are cliche, but they are the simple truths in life. We do have a tendency to make things far more complex than they need be. When we spend more time looking for excuses than for answers, clarity is lost. A personal favorite of mine is, " the more you know,the less you think you know. " An old farmer told me that when I was sixteen or so. You know I just thought I knew it all at that age. That simple statement, said as a matter of fact, without any malice or as rebuttal to anything I was saying, did give me pause to think. I still think about that statement.
I also find it interesting when famous people are quoted and I don't agree with the quote. Just because they are famous doesn't always give credibility to the statement. At least in my opinion it doesn't. I just heard or should I say read one I had not heard before. This was from a man named Jose Bergamin. " A belief which leaves no place for doubt is not a belief, it is a superstition. " I would have to disagree with the esteemed Mr. Bergamin. I wonder what he meant by belief. Belief to me immediately implies a belief in God. Of course I can believe a lot of things and not be committed to that belief, IE: have doubts, but belief in God can have no doubt. That just seems a complete contradiction to me. Either you believe in God or you don't. Simple. I write little sayings or adages if that is what you choose to call them. I wonder if any of them will ever catch on. Probably not, unless I become famous that is. Then I could hear people saying, Ben said this or that. LOL
I will leave you with this one that I composed the other day, " Emotion is often an ardent motivator but seldom a good guide. "
Maybe this fondness for quotes and sayings come from my youth. My great grandfather said little but when he spoke people listened. He often had a cigar in his mouth,although he seldom lit it, and would just sit and listen. After a bit he would take that cigar out of his mouth, say a few words, and that was that. Usually not more than a half dozen words or so. Short ,to the point, and some would say abrupt. I always admired his ability to just state a fact and leave it at that. I do realize that that was back in the day when others did respect their elders, so any contradictions to him where kept to a minimum. I also knew a few farmers that were the same way. Some would say it was the common folks and they talked common sense. I would have to agree with that assessment. Those that thought themselves above the common man had a tendency to pontificate on just about every subject. I was always left wondering who they were trying to convince, themselves or me ?
I remember a lot of the adages my parents and others used. I find truth in them every day. Yes they are cliche, but they are the simple truths in life. We do have a tendency to make things far more complex than they need be. When we spend more time looking for excuses than for answers, clarity is lost. A personal favorite of mine is, " the more you know,the less you think you know. " An old farmer told me that when I was sixteen or so. You know I just thought I knew it all at that age. That simple statement, said as a matter of fact, without any malice or as rebuttal to anything I was saying, did give me pause to think. I still think about that statement.
I also find it interesting when famous people are quoted and I don't agree with the quote. Just because they are famous doesn't always give credibility to the statement. At least in my opinion it doesn't. I just heard or should I say read one I had not heard before. This was from a man named Jose Bergamin. " A belief which leaves no place for doubt is not a belief, it is a superstition. " I would have to disagree with the esteemed Mr. Bergamin. I wonder what he meant by belief. Belief to me immediately implies a belief in God. Of course I can believe a lot of things and not be committed to that belief, IE: have doubts, but belief in God can have no doubt. That just seems a complete contradiction to me. Either you believe in God or you don't. Simple. I write little sayings or adages if that is what you choose to call them. I wonder if any of them will ever catch on. Probably not, unless I become famous that is. Then I could hear people saying, Ben said this or that. LOL
I will leave you with this one that I composed the other day, " Emotion is often an ardent motivator but seldom a good guide. "
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