Simplify, simplify, simplify!

“Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify, simplify! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail.”  — Thoreau

I came here to explore the pithicisms that are all about, nuggets of wisdom contained in few words. I’ve enjoyed sharing them and hope they gave pause for reflection. However, in the spirit of Thoreau’s admonition, I’ve decided to discontinue this blog.

Fortunately, the internet is a rich source of proverbs and such. One of my favorite sources of quotes is the A.Word.A.Day daily newsletter from Wordsmith.org. Explore and find your own special places for a thoughtful, contemplative life.

A success

That man is a success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much. – Robert Louis Stevenson

Life has no meaning

Life has no meaning a priori. … It is up to you to give it a meaning, and value is nothing but the meaning that you choose. – Jean-Paul Sartre

Always remember

Always remember to make room for action after you learn something. Always. – Ashley Dufault

It is not enough to withdraw from the mob

It is not enough to withdraw from the mob, not enough to go to another place: we have to withdraw from such attributes of the mob as are within us. It is our own self we have to isolate and take back into possession. – Montaigne

A net

What is a schedule, but a net for catching days? – Annie Dillard

Silence

Soon silence will have passed into legend. Man has turned his back on silence. Day after day he invents machines and devices that increase noise and distract humanity from the essence of life, contemplation, meditation. Tooting, howling, screeching, booming, crashing, whistling, grinding, and trilling bolster his ego. – Jean Arp

It is not enough to be busy

It is not enough to be busy—so are ants. The question is: what are we busy about? – Henry David Thoreau

Faith

Scientists do not join hands every Sunday and sing “Yes gravity is real! I know gravity is real! I will have faith! I believe in my heart that what goes up, up, up must come down, down, down. Amen!” If they did, we would think they were pretty insecure about the concept. – Dan Barker

Knowledge

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. – Josh Billings