A Lazy Approach

If you work hard at being lazy, you are a hard worker.

Total Eclipse

The ego eclipses true intelligence.

The Wrong Approach

Being wise does not mean that the sage is always right, but that she is always willing to admit when she is wrong.

Dressed for the Occasion

I freely admit that knowing how to dress well is a an art worthy of man.

But the assumption that a well-dressed man has mastered the art of living is another matter.

A Natural Mistake

“The great error of the 19th century, in morality as well as in science and art, has been to mingle and confound man and nature without pausing to consider that in art as in science and morality he is a man only in so far as he distinguishes himself from nature, and makes himself an exception to it.”--Ferdinand Brunetière

Battle Cry

Every birth of a human being opens a new front in the war against the nature that is both without and within us.

History is the record of battles won and lost. If humanity is to be the victor, we must help each child draw up an effective battle plan based on our experience and the experiences of many others.

A child who is well-equipped will know how to begin to grapple with the enemy and will increase his or her odds of overcoming the foe.

The Enemy within the Gates

Narcissism is the enemy of creativity.

A true artist expresses through his art his admiration for the world.

A narcissist only wants to be admired and is therefore not admirable.

A Vain Attempt

It is our vanity and presumption that compel our tongues to make the mistake of telling other people what to do or how to live.

A Graceful Expression

There but for the grace of God, go I.

Although this statement appears to be an expression of humility, it is misleading. Taken literally, it seems to imply that God bestows His grace on some and withholds this gift from others.

What is missing is our responsibility for cooperating with grace. Without our cooperation, the gift remains dormant.

Perhaps I can restate the well-known phrase so as to clarify the sentiment underlying the words:

There but for my cooperation with the grace of God, go I.

A Miserable State of Affairs

I do not want power over men's emotions. I do not want power over men's thoughts. I do not want power over the actions of men. I want the power to alleviate human misery. 

But no power can alleviate the misery of those who want to be miserable.

The Watchman

"Some watch others to learn what to do, and some watch to learn what not to do." --Eric Hoffer in The Passionate State of Mind

And some do both.

A Double Bind

A definition of ignorant might be a person who is unaware that he is unaware.

The Conquest of Nature

"An animal cannot be a contemplative." --Thomas Merton in New Seeds of Contemplation.

We have conquered nature. Now we must conquer ourselves. 

It is the nature within us which is the greatest obstacle to realizing our full potential as human beings.

Too High a Price

Nietzsche's vanity cost him his sanity.

A Question of Morals

Moral degeneration is a downhill slide. Moral regeneration is an uphill battle.

A Despairing Situation

With the right understanding, it is impossible to despair. With the wrong understanding, it is inevitable.

A Tempting Offer

The desire to teach other men how to live would be laughable if it were not so pitiable.

An Insane Proposition

It would be insane not to desire Mystical Union while at the same time Mystical Union can never be the object of desire.

Jolted Awake

Enlightenment is the shocking realization that you exist.

Growing Pains

Suffering deepens the roots of our compassion and is as necessary for our growth as is the rain to the mighty trees of the forest.