just another flower

The young man explained his difficulty in love. The old man advised, "Don't be just another flower in a field of flowers a woman loves."

friends in misfortune

Friends are like leaves on a tree. When the great winds of misfortune blow few, if any, remain.

already employed

Truth is the servant of no one.

benefit of loss

Losing everything from weakness, you will certainly lose nothing by being strong.

identity

What acts is the act.

heaven's choice

Empty of power he can be its vessel, disdaining power he receives it, Heaven knowing well all will benefit.

never-ending competition

A young lady in the back row stood up and asked the professor, 'What types of doctrines do you think currently effect the situation in this country?'

The professor paused for a few seconds then said, 'Let me make what may sound like a poetically naive remark and then, elaborating, answer your question more specifically. There are two types of doctrines that continually compete for influence in human affairs: those that tear and rend, and those that unite and blend.'
. . . . .

political economy

There are those whose acts, even sacrifices, are governed and proceed from their beliefs, and there are those, always those, ever prepared to gain from these acts ~ at the believer's expense.

we are attached

We are all creatures of attachment.

as i am

It was their first date. She was lovely, articulate, intelligent ~ and very inquisitive. Growing increasingly uncomfortable and puzzled by her persistent questions about his past accomplishments, Sam excused himself and said, 'What I have done means nothing to me for the present. Nor should it to you. You build memories with me not with my past.'
. . . . .

a closed mind

A closed mind is like a crypt. If you have the patient fortitude to jar it open, you will only find the remains of what once lived.

sound illumination

This unusually expressive monk finished reading and said, ‘God spoke "Let there be light." Sound illuminates!’ The monk noticed Gretchen's look of surprise. ‘Or perhaps’, added the monk with a subtle smile and more disciplined manner, ‘sound is preeminent to light. His sound calls, there is response, then light is let to be.’
. . . . .

in the company of a 'know-it-all'

Asking two or more consecutive questions commands the conversation. So when in the company of an obnoxious know-it-all, question! Let him speak! You know what he knows, too, as soon as it passes his lips.

mirroring values

We act out of our values and in so doing we act to them.

social intelligence

Life is too short to live intelligently for the whim and convenience of others. Live intelligently for yourself.

at odds

Life's purpose is to grow old.
Evil's design is to be sure it doesn't.

the curious side of motherhood

There are mothers who raise their sons to be the kind of men they wouldn't want to marry.

where are you?

Success has no address; failure does.

change the frame

A bad frame of mind distorts the picture we see. Change the frame to improve the picture.

in every herd

Out of every herd of horses is a jackass.

bullying ignorance

I was asked ˝What is ignorance?˝ I replied, ˝Ignorance is a small amount of knowledge expecting a large amount of knowledge to yield. Strength is challenged, weakness exploited.˝