“Here is my secret. It is very simple: you only truly see with your heart.
What is essential is invisible to the eyes.”
(Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince)
“To err is human; to forgive, divine.”
(Alexander Pope)
One man’s word is no man’s word. We should quietly hear both sides.
(transl., ancient famous German saying, inscribed on many official buildings)
“One swallow does not make a summer.”
(Aesop; Fables ca. 600 BC and Aristotle (384–322 BC), Nicomachean Ethics)
“A book is made from a tree. It is an assemblage of flat, flexible parts (still called “leaves”) imprinted with dark pigmented squiggles. One glance at it and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, the author is speaking, clearly and silently, inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people, citizens of distant epochs, who never knew one another. Books break the shackles of time ― proof that humans can work magic.”
(Carl Sagan)
A comedienne on TV put it like this the other day:
“Pornography is like Disney’s unlikely dreamy movies – just made for adults.”
(N.B.)
Some men as a smart woman you would like to ask… “Is it me – or just the contents of my brassiere…”
(N.B.)
In life, the two most important states of mind to weather any storm are these, to my mind, for yourself as well as others:
Trust – in the character of the person before you.
Confidence – in skills and possibilities and the best possible results.
(N.B.)
Life is a journey, often uphill: but it is full of views, ugly, or pitiful but also wonderful ones: to me that is what growing mature is about:
relish the fine views and the ever broadening perspective.
(N.B.)
They say: “snowflakes are perfect, humans are not.”
I like humans better, they are warm.
(N.B.)
Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.
(Albert Einstein)
Words can be cheap. That’s why it takes time
– to know them –
by their deeds.
(N.B.)
Is a lie any less bad just because it’s being told with a sweet face?
Should the truth be shunned
just because it’s uncomfortable, now and again?
The Persian version is this:
حقیقت تلخ است
The truth is bitter (at times).
(N.B.)
Those who work, make mistakes too.
Those who work more, make more mistakes, too.
Those who do not work, also don’t make mistakes…
(N.B., and popular saying)
‘Jumping to conclusions’ means, you take a shortcut through assumptions to a resulting thesis. But such a shortcut is more like a short circuit: the results are pretty useless…
(N.B.)
Some people get emotional now and again.
Some people smoke…
(N.B.)
What looks easy, often is just lots of practice and experience… A little like the freestyle part in ice skating.
(N.B.)
“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.”
(John Lydgate)
A legend is a rumour with a history.
(N.B.)
The Jewish tradition tells us something like this: each human being is a little universe of its own.
Buddhism says that since life is full of pain of its own accord, avoiding pain for yourself and others in everyday life is a worthy task for human beings.
I find both equally true – and important.
In other words: love thy neighbour.
(N.B.)
Human passion is a lot like fire: therefore, handle it with care.
Don’t play with matches.
Don’t kindle a fire unduly, just because you can.
If the fire is there, take care of the surroundings.
And if it’s to be kept, tender it lovingly and attend to it,
to keep a steady flame – for a long time.
(N.B.)
The apparently large crowd is not always right, just because of apparently large numbers. Lemmings come to mind.
True for politics, as well as everyday life: an opinion can be shared by a large number of people: and yet – that alone does not make it right.
(N.B.)
In order to be an immaculate member of a flock of sheep, one must above all be a sheep oneself.
(Albert Einstein)
Human beings are like icebergs – or fans.
Rarely everything is visible at the same time.
(N.B.)
As the lady told the liar:
“I’m neither stupid nor blind –
just polite…”
(N.B.)
Show me a man, who knows his own heart
and I’ll show you a human being.
(N.B.)
If you want a housekeeper – hire one.
If you want a wife – get to know her, talk to her.
Share. Joy as well as sorrow.
(N.B.)
Just think how happy you would be
if you lost everything you have right now,
and then got it back again.
(Frances Rodman)
‘Cool as a cucumber’
they say about someone who seems to be always in command
in any situation.
Seems, it’s an especially well-liked concept these days.
But: I prefer to spend my time with human beings rather than cucumbers….
(N.B.)
Appearances can be deceptive.
(anonymous)
This can be very true, if you care about yourself and your life’s ideas:
The first half of our lives we spend, trying to be the best possible version of what society around us expects us to be.
The second half we spend finding out, who we really are.
(exact source unknown)
About Hermes, the messenger god of Greek mythology, they said:
“He’s more concerned with presenting a fine image of himself – than with speaking the truth.”
(N.B.)
The best works of art – paintings, music, plays, books, movies – are not prescriptive, telling you what to do or to think, leaving out anything else; they are descriptive, painting the picture of life from different angles without confusing the issue.
(N.B.)
“The indifference of native crowds he was used to;
but this strong loneliness among white men preyed on him.”
(Rudyard Kipling, Kim)
Wounded pride has caused more problems, rifts, arguments, disturbances, crimes and even wars – than anything else in this world.
(N.B.)
‘There is more to it
than meets the eye.’
(English, origin unknown)