Sergey Zagraevsky
365 reflections on a human and humanity
These my reflections on
morality, epoch, social structure and meaning of life have a purely practical
purpose – to facilitate human adaptation to the realities of life. Despite the fact that the reflections
relate to faith in God, and to freedom, and to morality, and to the purpose of
a human, – they are based on no religion, but solely on common sense and life
experience.
The figure "365" appeared not by
chance: these my reflections may serve as a "useful calendar” for every
day.
1. As no one can afford to us another
world, we have to live in this one.
2. It is
sometimes difficult to see the main problems that life puts before us behind a
great number of minor circumstances. But it is sometimes even harder,
knowing the major problems and trying to solve them by all forces, to work with
a lot of little things in parallel.
3. Sometimes it seems that we are
absolutely unable to change anything in the world. But in fact we often just
give up easily, because do not know what to do for that.
4. It is bad when «homo homini lupus est»
– a man is a wolf for a man. But it is doubtful that «homo homini consumer est»
is better.
5. The genuine, reliable luck comes not as
a prize in a lottery, but as a reward for labor.
6. Even Voltaire remarked that people say
a lot of stupid things only because of the desire to say something new. But,
maybe, this desire of novelty is a pledge of personal development? And only
that one, who does nothing, is never mistaken.
7. It is easy to feel happiness on the level of emotions, but such happiness disappears
also easily. Happiness, which is brought to us by our mind, is achieved
much more difficultly, but stays with us much longer, often permanently.
8. “The Ugly Duckling" by Andersen is
a good and instructive tale. But our imperfect world is not a fairy tale, and
there are many ugly ducklings and few swans.
9. Youth is blind and careless. Therein
its weakness lies, but also its strength, which gives ability to dare.
10. Politeness, which forces people at
least to smile to each other, may seem to somebody primitive and insincere. But
anyway it softens morals.
11. It is scary to think what could have
begun in the world, if we had been able to return events and to reshape them in
new ways. Probably because of that, it is impossible to invent a "time
machine". But we have memory that returns us to the past not to remake it,
but to comprehend.
12. Some people are so accustomed to lie,
that they lie to God (and that is useless), and to themselves (and that is
absurd).
13. Many people try to compensate lack of
thought by excess of words. But if words do not convey the idea, they become
dead and meaningless formulas and spells.
14. We all dream that there had been no
pain and risk in the life, but what a dull it would have been without them,
what a powerful engine of our development we would have lost!
15. It is good if it turns out to foresee
the future. But it is even better if it turns out to create the future.
16. The influenza virus causes a cough,
runny nose and sneezing not to annoy the patient, but to use these reflexes of
the treatment of the respiratory tract for self-propagation around the patient
and, consequently, for reproduction. If even viruses are capable of such tricks
– what are people capable of?..
17. It has long been known that if a
scoundrel, a traitor or a criminal is afraid of retribution, he flinches at
every rustle. But unfortunately, most of such people are not afraid of
retribution.
18. It is bad if an historical fact is
suppressed or ignored, but it is worse if it is forgotten.
19. It is difficult to be young. The world
is hostile for young people, they are constantly forced to prove their right for
a place under the sun. Is it any wonder that they have so many "sharp
corners" in character and deeds?
20. Would there have been fewer frauds in
the world if there had been fewer gullible people? Hardly, just for one fraud
there would have been even more gullibles.
21. We are imperfect and often make
mistakes. But if we can at least learn on our own mistakes and on the mistakes
of others – it is quite a lot.
22. We often think that thanks to our life
experience we can feel friendly with any person. But in fact, people perfectly
feel falsity, and the identifier "a friend – a stranger" in them
works without a hitch. They just do not want to hurt us and to tell us in the
eye that we are cunning. But because of this reluctance to offend each other,
people still find a common language.
23. Judgments of our enemies about us are
often more valid than our own judgments, and it is necessary to listen to them.
25. How would we like to believe that all
attempts to distort the truth only elevate it and increase its value! But
judging from many accidentally opening facts, such attempts are often successful.
26. Pride cultivates the sense of
self-importance in a human, and tries to elevate him over other people, but it
is also a cure for our psyche, because it facilitates sad consciousness of our
imperfection.
27. The future very rarely comes in the way
we expect it. But this does not mean that we should live only for today.
28. Sometimes it is considered that labor
exhausts people. Maybe so, but lack of labor exhausts them much faster.
29. Troubles, disasters or wars are an
internal relief for some people, because they have new ways to show themselves.
30. Fame, titles, high social status,
previous achievements – all this creates much more problems in case of failure.
For example, in this case any failure can easily turn into shame.
31. Those few people, who can foresee the
future, often lose the ability to perceive the present, and therefore others do
not believe them.
32. If people are arguing for a long time,
it means either that they are not self-confident, or that they are
insufficiently aware of the matter of the dispute, or simply that there are a
lot of spectators.
33. If a person waives his opinion on more
and more questions – most likely, he is on the path of personal degradation.
34. Intellect without character loses much,
but character without intellect loses more.
35. If a person did not reach great
success in the eyes of others, it does not mean that he is a loser: maybe he
just did his work honestly, not thinking about impression which his work will
make.
36. If an authoritative human abhors
authority – most likely, his authoritativeness was really deserved.
37. Elementary law of physics: the higher
sycophants and flatterers elevate a person, the lower they are in his eyes.
38. If a person is afraid of attacks on
his beliefs, it does not mean that he does not believe in them. Rather, he
simply doubts in himself.
39. Those, who believe that with money
they will be capable of everything, are usually only able to do everything for
money.
40. Maybe there is justice in the fact
that the people, who are most cowardly and unable to resist, are able for
unquestioned parental authority. There is a chance that at least their children
will be guided by an example of a man with character.
41. If you constantly expose your neck,
then it is likely that someone, at best, will sit on it, and at worst – will
went a loop at it.
42. Loss of an honest, unbiased memory
leads to loss of the past. And loss of the past leads to terrible mistakes in
the present.
43. It is bad when the major part beats
the best part. It is even worse, when the best part is beaten by the minority.
In the first case the average people triumph, in the second case – maniacs.
44. We know perfectly that the most
skilful cunnings know how not to seem cunning. And because of these cunnings,
even the most unsophisticated people raise our suspicions.
45. To set goals and to follow our own
desires – are not the same thing.
46. The misfortune of people, who depend
on their desires, – is the gap between "want" and "can".
47. Sometimes we can hear that education
not only improves good people, but undermines bad ones. But in fact, without
education bad people would have been even worse.
48. Parsimony is the only vice that always
tries to justify itself by rigorous calculations and concern about the future.
49. Some people, like small predators,
feel when they are feared, and use it.
50. Many people are interested in
betrayal. But traitors are always hated and despised.
51. There is an army joke that the whole
battalion does not keep pace, only one lieutenant keeps pace. But in the life
it sometimes happens that the majority does not keep pace, and only singles,
suffering ridicules and humiliations, keep pace – that is, choose the right
path.
52. Circumstances change rapidly. The idea
is that principles of life should change slower or not change at all. But for
many people the principles change even faster than the circumstances.
53. Education can not add intelligence to
a stupid man, but it can smooth out difference between intelligence and
stupidity.
54. Even the most indecisive people take
decisions at every step. The question is only in the scale of the decisions.
55. Many people replace intellect by
emotions – in their opinion, quite successfully.
57. For a man, who is greedy for praise,
even the despised and hated people seem to be much more enjoyable if they
praise to him. And those ones, in turn, use that.
58. Laziness is often stronger than love,
ambitions, pride, greed... Only hunger and fear of death are stronger than
laziness.
59. When young people tell each other:
"You’re the same as everyone else", it is usually perceived as an
insult. With age, it gradually turns on the contrary, and the most of older
people perceive words: "You're not like everybody else" as an insult.
60. People are so busy with themselves and
their own affairs that they have neither time nor inclination to carefully
assess the affairs of others. And this lack of attention is used by many
cunnings, swindlers, slanderers and botchers.
61. Some people are so afraid of everything
unknown and unpredictable, that they do not want to change their unbearable
life because it is known and predictable.
62. It is known that if everyone makes a
grammatical mistake, then it is sooner or later recognized as a rule. But life
is not grammar, and not every mistake, which is made by millions of people,
deserves to be recognized as rules.
63. If a person is going to start real
living someday later, it just means that he lives for today.
64. Voluntary or forced abandonment of the
realization of potential abilities leads a person to personal self-destruction
sooner or later.
65. We must have interest to the future,
at least because we can not avoid it.
66. The ability to control our wishes is
not less important than the ability to control our money, house, colleagues,
automobile…
67. Mistakes do not always humiliate
people. But inconsistency always humiliates them.
68. The well-known advices – "Know
yourself to know others" and "Do not judge others by yourself" –
contradict each other. And this contradiction can be resolved only by our life
experience and only in each specific case.
69. It is bad if we are betrayed for
money. But it is even worse, if we are betrayed for free.
70. People, who are cowardly and spineless
in private and public life, often become brave soldiers and acquire dignity at
a war. Apparently, that is because in the army they fulfill orders. It is a
service, and it requires no courage, but discipline and obedience.
71. If a slave of his desires hears
"no" from a woman, he can put a bullet in his head. In an effort to
become rich, he can squander all that he has, hoping to win in cards or at a
stock exchange. He tries to destroy everything and everyone who impedes him,
and above all he destroys himself. Destruction and self-destruction are
inevitable consequences of such slavery.
72. Modern people have the same need as
ancients – to mark their identity by some special characters. This is normal
and natural, as these characters develop in parallel with development of
society, and in our time these may be belongings, and a house, and scientific
works, and creativity. But when a person begins to resemble ancients literally
and cover his body by signs of identity, – it seems that these victims of
tattoo and body piercing have a tail under clothing.
73. If a man tasted praise and fame in his
youth, he risks to turn into a bunch of anger and envy in his old age.
74. The well-known phrase "slander of
some people is better for us than their praise" is only self-congratulatory.
Slander is always harmful.
75. There is no need to blame people for
their love to all goods that can be bought: not everyone can be ascetics. But
if someone loves money as money, he can turn into a greedy soulless monster.
76. True happiness is only that, which a
person experiences from his accomplishments. Everything else is debatable and
immediate. For example, many crazy people are happy, too.
77. At war overwhelming forces are usually
needed for an attack. But if life is the battlefield, and libel is weapon, –
the opposite is true: in order to defame a person, sometimes one word is
enough, and for protection many pages and many years are needed.
78. It is difficult to struggle against
lie, primarily because it always tends to be similar to truth.
79. Many people define themselves and
others not through personal traits and life achievements, but through the sum
of belongings: money, house, car, clothes... Personality is dissolved in the
sea of property and loses all principles, except one: to earn more money to buy
more things.
80. Insolence, rudeness and cruelty cause
respect only in scoundrels, cowards and slaves.
81. If we want to have at least some share
in material goods, which are produced by society, then we are obliged to live
in society and play some role in it. The only question is the amount and ratio
of the share and the role.
82. Freedom means permanent choice between
alternatives, and creation of new alternatives, and, what is most important, –
responsibility for everything that was chosen and created.
84. People like to disclaim responsibility
for everything that happens around them. For that someone links on chance,
someone – on fate and predestination.
85. If a person refuses of freedom for
something, even for the noblest goals, – he will probably not reach these
goals.
86. Life does not require from us one or
another choice. But life requires that we must understand the implications of
every choice.
88. Freedom is an opportunity of conscious
choice, which takes into account both necessity and randomness. And the
ultimate freedom is the freedom to choose good and evil consciously, evaluating
positive and negative consequences of the choice by the best of knowledge and
skills.
89. The
opponents of freedom of choice often refer to the fact that if someone has only
one clock, he always knows the time, and if he has some clocks, which show
different times, he always doubts. But that is true only so long as the
only clock does not begin to lie heavily or does not stop at all.
90. That one is free, who is not afraid of
death and is ready to meet it.
91. People are responsible for everything,
what they do. But they always answer only before other people, and evade by all
means the answer before themselves. They use two ways for that. The first is
just to drown the voice of memory. The second is to give a sleek form to
memories, deceiving themselves and replacing the actual by the desired.
92. Each of us in every situation always
has a choice, even of the lesser of two evils. But it is often more convenient
for us to pretend that we had no choice and were not free in our decision.
93. It may seem that very few concerted
actions of people are possible without subordination to someone's will. But in reality people much more often do not obey any
will, but follow thoughts and ideas – and it is quite another matter.
94. Persistence
in obvious wrongness is a form of slavery.
96. Absolute
freedom by virtue of its absoluteness implies limitations of freedom.
97. We are not free of external
conditions, which we can not affect. But we are free to take our own position
in relation to them, even if there is a choice between only two alternatives:
to surrender or not.
98. The most terrible slavery is when a
slave is happy that he is a slave.
99. It is not easy to be free. This
entails constant efforts, risk and anxiety. Freedom is a burden. Many
totalitarian regimes speculate on this, requiring denial of freedom and
promising relief of this burden. But if a human does not want to be a slave, he
must bear that burden.
100. Tyrants often try to put on the knees
even those people, who already stand on the knees or even lies prone.
101. Fear can be different. As long as a
human feels ashamed of his fear, he is not yet a coward, and certainly not a
slave. And the healing power of fear is found in this sense of shame.
102. If we define humanity as an organism,
whose cells are human beings, then we get a paradoxical situation: a person with
endless possibilities of knowing the world, with the immortal soul and natural
right to liberty, is a part of an organism, which is evolutionarily much lower:
it has no soul, is not capable for to abstract and logical thinking, acts
solely by instinct. Therefore, the more adequate
definition of humanity is the community of free people.
103. The
question: "Should we act by the law or as human beings?" is the most
terrible sentence for legal affairs in a state.
104. Innocent people are killed in
terrorist attacks not only by the fault of terrorists, but also by the fault of
governments, which are able neither to neutralize criminals, nor to meet their
demands. And who knows whom to blame more: the terrorists, who are usually no
more than primitive brainwashed victims of propaganda, or incapable
governments, whose errors lead to the deaths of innocent people.
105. Young people due to their social
disorder have hypertrophied "territorial behavior”: they as if label a
territory, i.e. try to leave their marks, wherever possible.
106. An assassin can take the life from a
human. Alcohol and drugs can take everything.
108. Human society in times of stability
is a heaven for mediocrity. In periods of instability, it turns into a hell for
them. For outstanding people it is equally difficult in any state of society,
but in times of instability they have more opportunities to prove themselves.
110. Independently on the standard of
living, which a human reached in emigration, he often refers to
emigrants-compatriots as to the friends in misfortune.
111. The concepts of a "humane
state" or "good government" are absurd. Not only because the
kindness of a ruler (usually in everyday life – a model family man, personally
killed nobody) is irrelevant to the management of the state. The fact is that
every state and every ruler, if they want to survive, have to be ruthless and
pragmatic: this is dictated by ruthless realities of the modern world.
112. The development of commandments in
humanity is changing from taboos (prohibitions, which are justified
mysteriously) to laws (prohibitions, which are justified logically). But if in
the modern society laws are not met, taboos replace them.
113. Wars will continue so long as people
endure stupid rulers, who send them to death.
114. How can a young human enter the unfamiliar
and often hostile world? This is a very serious problem. And the fact that
young people often try to behave according to certain stereotypes of leadership
– to look relaxed, speak roughly, gesture sharply and sweepingly, laugh loudly,
talk in a low voice, behave aggressively – is nothing more than a defensive
reaction of the psyche.
115. As a theater begins of a cloak-room,
so social relations begin of culture.
116. History is not only the science about
the past, but also the connection of times.
117. It's not the worst if a party, which
rules in the country, has possibility to lock ideological opponents out of
work, close their access to the media or to falsify election results. The worst
is if this party gets the opportunity to send enemies into prisons and camps.
118. Disdain for indigenous inhabitants of
the country is for many immigrants a peculiar way of psychological protection.
However, indigenous people often pay immigrants the same.
119. All ideas of social equality are
disproved primarily by the realities of unskilled labor, which even in an ideal
society (for example, in hypothetical communism) someone will still have to
perform. Hence, we must recognize the positive role of scientific and
technological progress, which leads to the increase of the proportion of
skilled labor. Creativity in the industrial sector is not less spiritual and
deserves no less respect than in the so-called non-productive.
120. Totalitarian states, which give the
appearance of parliament, elections, trade unions and active social life,
remind savage islanders, who used astronomical instruments from the ships of
Columbus and Magellan as decorations.
121. The dream of many intelligent people
"to sit in an ivory tower" is unrealizable. It is virtually impossible
to opt out of events in the country and the world.
122. Human impact on the ecology of the
Earth is not as destructive, as we sometimes imagine. For example, if we look
at the photos of our planet from space, the traces of civilization on it are virtually
indistinguishable. Another example: a volcano spews more carbon monoxide and
other pollutants than all the cars and factories in a century. So everything is
not so terrible with global environment. But is it easier of this for those
people, who live near a highway or a chemical plant?
124. Children have no developed abstract
thinking, but their thirst for knowledge is very high. They torture animals and
break toys not because they wish to destroy and torture, but of the interest in
changes in nature. And if the thirst for knowledge is combined with poorly
developed abstract thinking in adults, the result will be similar, but with
other items. And abstract thinking is developed primarily through education.
125. The modern world gives everyone a
potential to make more or less successful social career. But the most
passionate, impatient and, as a rule, the most talented ones burn out quickly.
There are exceptions, when some genius, who had invented something necessary
for society at the moment, happily avoids obscurity and becomes rich and
famous. But there are few such people, and the vast majority comes to success
by monotonous everyday work.
126. Marx's theory led to the conclusion
that for an act of evil – a violent revolution – unskilled labor, hated by
people, who are separated from the means of production, is needed. But
according to the same provisions a reverse conclusion can be made: for an act
of goodness, skilled labor of owners, who are interested in the results, is
more suitable.
127. The negative impact of anthropogenic
factor on the global ecology shows not a danger of scientific progress, but
reluctance of merchants and officials to spend money on the introduction of
scientific developments in this area. Scientific and technological progress can
lead to disaster in unscrupulous hands.
128. Every state, even the most enlightened
and democratic, considers culture, art and religion primarily as a means of
agitation, propaganda and leisure of citizens.
129. Advertising has gone so far away from
the normal exchange of information among people, that it can be defined as the
formation of public opinion by unnatural way. But in human society there are
many much more unnatural things, so that unnaturalness just must not pass into
bad faith.
130. Some young people dream of becoming
famous actors and actresses, singers, models... And that is impossible for them
not only because there are many people, who want to sell expensively their look
(and often their bodies), but there are few wealthy buyers. The main problem is
a very short period of beauty flowering. It is almost impossible to make from
scratch a successful social career during five or ten years.
131. If some topic sounds in all media, it
is unnecessary to look for a kind of order from the government, oligarchs, or
anyone else. The hysteria is most often created by journalists themselves, who
rush to exploit the "fashionable" topic.
132. One of the most difficult phases,
which should be overcome in the choosing of a profession, is when people tell
you something like: "Why do you want that?", "You're not
right", "It's not yours."
133. If people think only of themselves,
they often get the feeling that outside the front door of their dwelling the
enemy territory begins. And it is possible (and even is a certain prowess) to
be rude, litter, brawl etc. on the enemy territory.
134. If a person knowingly commits a
crime, then it is too late to admonish or reason him. It was to be done
previously.
135. Should we go into morality when
analyzing historical facts? Should, because the moral assessment of the past is
even more useful lesson for the present, than the historical fact itself.
136. Two workers of equal skill can do
equal work on same machines with completely different purposes (e.g., one – to
make money and spend it on a drink, and the second – to make details which will
well serve to humans), and their work will have different moral assessment. And
the defect rate in the second case will be less.
137. The army must be fully professional
at least because those, who serve on an appeal, have many similarities with the
prisoners: they both are a human mass, which is forcibly, without regard to
personal and cultural backgrounds, isolated from the rest of society.
138. It is interesting that the dinner
parties, which are held by people with authority, increase their power, as it
looks like the guests receive food from their hands. It is an ancient instinct
that goes back even to the animal world: one, who obtained food and gave it to
the pack, is the leader.
139. On the one hand, the history of
mankind shows that nationality is more and more closely associated with the
state. On the other hand, all nations can not create their own states, as there
will always be groups of national minorities, for whom the national majority
does not recognize the right to self-determination. Hence, the world will not
avoid "hot spots" on a national basis, until people do not realize
that national self-awareness is a potential source of not good, but of evil.
141. It is very difficult, knowing what
you can do, to be in emigration at the bottom of life, seeing around the
success of those, who have one advantage before you: they are at home.
142. We must evaluate every labor not as a
process, but as a result. For example, it is impossible to deny the creative
impulse of the creators of the atomic bomb, but the result of their work
objectively brought more harm than good to mankind.
143. People are often afraid of flying by
planes, forgetting that the probability of a car accident is much higher, and
in terms of statistics, the aircraft is the safest transport. In the same way
many people are afraid to die of an accidentally met maniac, but call for
dictatorship and terror, despite the fact that chances to die of the latter are
much higher.
145. There are no absolute Russians,
absolute Germans, absolute Jews, absolute Armenians etc. When we want to define
some features of a nation, we define only the features of some social stratum
in some epoch.
146. People need historical memory,
otherwise in a new round of disasters or at least troubles (inevitable, if we
remember the cyclicity of the historical process) they would be completely
helpless.
147. Many governments try to solve
internal problems of the country (or at least distract people from them) by
unleashing of an external war. In this case, the situation "a friend – a
stranger" is dramatically exacerbated, and "friends" (citizens)
are forced to consolidate against "strangers" (enemies). The same
thing happens in the epoch of state terror, when "internal enemies"
are searched. These political maneuverings are as old as the hills, and have
their roots in the ancient ritual sacrifice: to designate a "stranger"
and to kill him solemnly.
148. If disgruntled voices are heard from
them in power: "Several people were killed (arrested), but human rights
activists raise a cry”, and an indefinite number "several" appears,
the diabolical affair is done: they can justify, for example, the destruction
of several million people, who are a tiny portion of humanity, especially
including a long row of future generations.
149. National isolation is a publicly
available idea, and it seduces masses of people easily. But isolation has never
led to anything good, and hatred towards freedom of thought and creativity
firstly breaks out in the closed world.
150. Only threat of starvation, prison or
death may be sufficient reason for a person to leave his homeland forever.
151. No government can give people
everything they need. But some governments are able to take away everything
that people have. And if the government declares the first, then it is worth
considering whether it is going to do the second.
152. Pogroms are the dirtiest weapon of
the strong against the weak, terrorism is the dirtiest weapon of the weak
against the strong.
153. Every modern society, despite all
humanistic declarations, considers a person as a detail of the system, which
deviations can be only within the tolerances issued by the same system. If a
deviation exceeds the allowable, the detail is repaired, and if that is
impossible – it is destroyed or thrown into the trash.
154. All conquerors, all dictators sooner
or later face some limitation of their power, and their conquests and systems
created by them go into oblivion. It seems that some mysterious law of
self-destruction of evil operates on the Earth.
155. Successful social career disaccustoms
people how to tell the truth and repent of their sins, and even in the memoirs,
which they write in retirement, it is useless to wait for this. They have
forgotten long ago how to do it. The same is with their assessments of friends
and associates: corporate solidarity is stronger than the truth even at the
face of death.
156. Language is the main thing that
determines self-consciousness of people. People are alive until they own an
alive word.
157. It is more and more difficult for contemporary
governments to manage people, consolidating them “in favor” (if not of
"bright future", then at least of cleanliness in streets). But if
people’s consolidation "pro" turns out bad, "contra" (if
not against a neighboring country, then at least against some minor vices of
society) turns out well. Many governments use this, and not always in good
faith.
158. Even the most brutal dictators are
ready to listen to intellectuals, but only as long as it does not apply to the
system that they created and to which serve. Likewise,
an executioner can have a pleasant conversation with a philosopher, but when he
gets the order, he with absolutely pure heart cuts off the head of this
philosopher.
160. If people derive nothing from
lessons of history – that are in some sense the lessons of history, too.
161. So many people, so many
ideologies. And even more opinions on each particular issue. But these opinions
stack some common sense of an epoch, as billions of people stack the humanity.
162. Epochs
are incomparably longer than human lives. And although we notice many
changes in the life of mankind, their true scale can be assessed only after
hundreds of years. Therefore, any our assessment of modern global world
processes may be correct only by accident.
163. Few people want to read and
re-think even the experience of their lives. No wonder that even fewer people
want to think about the fate of their country and era.
165. Life in the epoch of unlimited
access to information gives immunity against totalitarianism (it is difficult
to enslave a human), but it makes people more susceptible to conformism (the
human wants to be like everyone else).
167. Despite the fact that people get
more and more information, they less and less think about global issues and are
less and less capable of sincere repentance. This is the same paradox as the
exacerbation of ethnic and religious strife in the epoch of globalization.
168. As the pace of life grows, value
of moments grows. Many people do not understand this and live like in slow
motion.
169. Totalitarian regimes try to assimilate
people to chips, which sail by a given current. In the information epoch,
people are also likened to chips, but which float in an endless sea. Perhaps
this is also not good for a human, but in a sea there is at least a chance to
find an own current.
170. Unlimited access to information
means also unlimited right to refuse of it at any time – at least to think
things calmly through.
172. People, who lost themselves in
the flow of current minor cases, can be divided into two categories. Some of
them sink into torpor and live with the hope that someday in the future they
will be able to "find themselves" and to recover all their values in
their original form. Others believe that they must get all life pleasures, the
access to which is very wide in the information epoch. These people try to be
responsible for nothing, and disappear with a brief moment, which their life
is.
173. Our civilization has much less
risk of dying of some giant meteorite than of a "nuclear button",
which may happen in the hands of a dictator, for whom the death of the whole
mankind is preferable to the death of the political system, which he had
created.
175. The Internet users are divided
into two types. The first type uses the huge power of the Internet to obtain information,
which is needed in real life. The second immerses with his head into the
virtual world and loses relevance to
reality. How these seconds later expensively pay for that!
176. The information age, in which we
live, is an epoch of openness, but this openness generates permissiveness.
178. It may seem that the Internet
creates a unique opportunity for education for those who do not like to learn
from books. But in fact, those, who do not like to read books, will learn
nothing from the Internet, except information on minor domestic issues.
179. Many modern people distrust
virtually everything that is not related to money earning. In all that relates
to the earning, they also constantly see a catch – that is the specifics of
every business. As a result, such people are becoming more and more dry and
calculating, and their lives – more and more boring.
180. We must not forget that our
epoch is unique not only because of information and computer technologies. It
is fundamentally different from previous ages, because the nuclear weapons,
which are accumulated on the Earth, are enough to destroy humanity. And it is
impossible to forget this.
182. Advances in the study of the
Universe and the spread of nuclear weapons compel philosophers to cure of the
"illness of geocentrism" – the raising of humanity to the rank of a
single and a priori immortal civilization.
183. Everyone is a child of his
country and his epoch. This stigma can be erased by nothing.
185. Our personality is not a product
of any accident or predestination. Its foundation is the will to confront
external circumstances and to transform the world around us.
186. It is scary to realize how
insignificant our abilities are and short our life on the Earth is in the face
of the infinite Universe. It is possible to start thinking that, not knowing
about this infinity, it would have been easier to live. But let us not be like
those, who seek salvation in ignorance, and to the same, it is impossible to
throw the knowledge about this infinity away of our minds.
187. Some people say that they do not
believe in themselves because they believe in God. Some say that they do not
believe in God because they believe in themselves. But nothing prevents us from
believing in God, and also in ourselves.
188. As we know, it is impossible to
do impossible things. But humanity throughout its history is trying to do that,
and this is a guarantee of its development.
190. The fact that every person
perceives development as the movement upwards, and degradation – as the
movement downwards, reflects the great desire of humanity from the Earth to the
Universe against gravity.
191. Those, who deny the existence of
God, usually base on the fact that the existence of the material world is
proved by the totality of our physical sensations, and today it is impossible
to prove the existence of God in such a way. But in reality such a position is
nothing more than speculation on everyday common sense: the fact is that the
collection of physical sensations is not a strict proof of the existence of
matter. Physical sensations are often misleading – as delusions,
hallucinations, and even simple errors of perception...
192. Apparently, humanity really has
the need of infinity and miracles, if it does not feel comfortable in its
familiar terrestrial world and always seeks something outside – and not only
mentally, but also physically.
193. It is impossible to prove
logically that the world is not an illusion of each of us. And the only way for
us is to believe our instinct, which confirms the reality of the world.
194. Some people believe that it is more
safe and convenient to live for today and not to worry about global problems of
human life. But in fact, even from the standpoint of ordinary common sense we
must at least a little, but think about tomorrow, and that willy-nilly leads to
thoughts about global issues of life.
195. Is it possible to refuse to
communicate with others, to go away from the world for spiritual
self-perfection? After that the world did so much for our education and
training, gave us the experience and at least minimal material goods to sustain
life – it would be unfair to him.
196. It is impossible to explain
logically something to the people, who believe that we are paltry insects, who
live one moment and fly on a tiny ball called “The Earth" through the
alien and incomprehensible Universe. It is only possible to say: if a person
wants to consider himself as an insect, it is his right, but for what a
miserable existence he dooms himself!
197. If we lose the balance, it is
necessary to lean on something not to fall. If this happens to our soul, we
have to look for support in the past, and in the future, and in eternal values.
199. The assertion, that belief in
God arises if a human is confronted with unknown natural phenomenon, is only
partly true. Even if humanity ever completely researches all physical and
chemical processes in the world, faith will not disappear in people: there will
still be the most important mystery – our endless soul.
200. The main task of philosophy is
to show to a person how to live his life the most worthy. In all other cases it
is the only the gymnastics of the mind.
201. No matter how far we have gone
into philosophical delights, almost each of us has the passport, a certificate
of any education, a set of other personal belongings... We live in a particular
historical epoch, in some country and some city. Each of us has relatives,
friends... All of this does not allow our mind "to depart from the
Earth" too far.
202. Many philosophical theories are
based on behavior of mentally ill people or of laboratory animals. Even more –
on personality traits of philosophers themselves. "Golden mean"
between these two extremes is very rare.
203. Our vision of the world is only
a thin shell of a ball, with infinity inside and outside. The infinite Universe
is outside of us, and also the infinite Universe is inside us.
204. Miracles convince only those
people, who already believe in their possibility. Everyone else, having even
seen a miracle, will consider it as a focus, or as a coincidence.
205. Society is arranged so that each
individual constantly has to compare himself with others, who are at higher
steps of social hierarchy, and to try to keep up with them. This constant race
is the main driving force of social life. That is different in the spiritual
realm: everyone is equal before eternal values.
206. From the point of view of today,
even the weather forecast for tomorrow may be declared as an illusion.
Therefore to be an idealist, to believe in God, in highest values does not mean
to be in illusions.
VI. On creativity
207. They say that people deserve
their rulers. Equally, people deserve their artists.
208. The scale of the personality of
a creator is probably the most important summand of success.
209. If we deal with genuine art,
then its depth is infinite, and a viewer, reader or listener is immersed as
deeply as he is capable. If art is not imaginary, then it tries to suggest how
deeply one should sink and if one should at all.
210. Talking about art, we always
remember a number of sacred names, honor and pride of a country and humanity.
But art in every current moment consists not only of them, and it is far from
clear, who is who.
211. It is just as impossible for an
artist to change the profession as to change the soul.
212. Perhaps one of the main measures
of art is how great its healing, not mesmerizing power is.
213. Art has no debt to anyone, and
claims to him should not be presented.
214. I do not believe in quality of a
reader in the Internet. Availability of any information and permissiveness
relaxed all intellectual and logical connections in his brain. He was too often
deceived by slipping of surrogates, which were issued instead of thoughts. And
as a result, his effort is to evade understanding and to glide over the
surface, creating for himself a sort of overall picture.
215. Many people, who believe in
something higher and perfect, whether it is God, art or bright prospects of
development of mankind, are called idealists and dreamers. But in fact such a
belief is quite pragmatic, because if a person believes that his life is
somehow connected with higher goals, it is easier for him to endure any
hardships.
216. Timeliness is one of main
components of success of any business. But if the purpose of business is the
creation of eternal values, then the time interval of timeliness can be very
long – until eternity.
217. Whatever a reader, viewer or
listener is, he is a judge for a creator, though not of the last instance.
218. Majority vote and the more
people's opinion is not a criterion of truth in science, at least because
scientific discoveries can be done more by an individual than by a collective,
moreover by a whole nation.
219. There is no precise definition
of art for many thousands years, and thus likely will never be. There are also
no more or less precise criterions to distinguish genuine art from the
imaginary. They say that time will tell, but it often retains prejudices and
rumors of contemporaries. It may seem that fans and collectors of art are like
at a turf, and, unlike players, they will never know how their horses have
galloped. But in reality it is not so: intuition
of professional art historians, based on a thorough knowledge of art history,
may be an assessment tool.
220. Genius is nothing more than a good
starting point. Only work, experience and will
power can turn it into a worthy accomplishment.
221. It makes
sense to write memoir in an age, when active life is already in the past, but
the pain of the lived life still exists. Later the pain subsides and senile
complacency comes. Then it is too late.
222. Why are there much more books
about writers than, for example, about the janitors? Because books are written not by janitors, but by writers. And it is
much easier to think out a story around the own biography than around a
stranger’s.
223. The more we say
or write, the less of that people will remember. But the greater the chance is
that they will hear us or will not pass by our works.
224. One should not confuse art and
high quality handicraft, art and trickery.
225. Not only love is a source of
creativity, but also envy, jealousy, pain and many other negative emotions. But
constant reliving of all these emotions means to condemn ourselves to miserable
existence. The salvation is the memory about the experiences, which were lived
through at least once. We can create, evoking the memory about that.
226. Religion and art are closely
connected with the ways of society, but they live by their own laws and no
state can affect these laws by willed order. The system of spiritual values in
religion and art is above all social changes and upheavals, and governments
have no power over it. And after the collapse of the communist utopia, no
equivalent alternatives of religion and art remained in the spiritual world of
people.
227. Almost every normal person feels
good, doing good, and bad, doing evil. This gives us the hope for the ultimate
triumph of good in the world.
228. If
one builds the value of his own personality on non-recognition of the value of
individuals around him, then sooner or later the value of this "central
figure" will be put under question by the others, most often as
self-defense. Inevitably, there is a situation of eternal war, which greatly
increases the likelihood of suffering and death of that "central
person".
229. Modern society, where money and
power are the determining factors of social relationships, is unable to win a
global victory over evil.
230. Today's realities suggest that a
person, in principle, can choose not only good, but also evil. But if a person
understands, what good is and what evil is, the likelihood of harm is reduced
by the informed choice.
231. The history of mankind shows
that defeated good has better chance for revenge than defeated evil.
232. Pessimism, though it is fruitless,
is still better than optimistic faith in the triumph of evil.
234. Evil is a really strong when
ordinary people admire it as a heroic deed.
235. Global victory over evil in the
world is not some state of human society. Just nobody will be tempted to do
evil. And what the state of society would be in this case, – we can only guess.
But it is clear that if people continue to kill, torture and deceive each
other, and the state has to oversee that only those who “should be"
killed, tortured or deceived, – what kind of victory over evil can there be?
236. If it is impossible to punish
murderers, scoundrels and swindlers by law, the better if they thrive in their
own mansions, living unjustly earned money, than we should have at our disposal
squads of murderers, scoundrels and swindlers to crack them down. We should not
assimilate them.
237. There is an infinitely cynical
phrase, which tramples human dignity: "We are just the amount of food,
that we have used". Even more cynically: "We have debts neither
before God, nor before humanity, nor even before our parents, because we did
not ask them to give us birth". It is so desirable to hear it more seldom
around us...
238. How can a person be treated if
he does not want to get better? And if mankind does not want to get better?
239. There are many shades of good
and evil, as the shades of black and white. But as in the determining of a
particular shade of gray the concepts of black and white should be understood,
as well in any moral choice one must consciously focus on good, and not to
engage in self-deception.
240. No religious confession should
hold itself above or below the others. Just the Buddhists have their own
spiritual path, the Muslims – their own, the Christians – their own and so on,
but the goal (at a good faith interpretation of the relevant doctrines) is the
same – the triumph of good. There is a lot of ways of achievement of that, so
religious hatred must have no place among the people, who are united by the
desire to improve life on the Earth.
241. It is not a sin to cheat the
devil, but it is impossible.
242. Should I provide the left cheek
when struck on the right (in the other words, should I take the position of
non-resisting to evil by violence)? My answer is following: if there is at
least some chance, I'll do everything for the violent conflict not to occur.
Moreover, if there is a chance to preserve life and human dignity, I shall
provide the other cheek, so shall take no retaliatory action. But if there is
no such chance, I shall have to answer by a blow for a blow. And let me know
that it is a sin, – there are situations when not to answer is a sin. The main
thing is that the likelihood of violence reduces many times in this case.
243. Few people take through life the
vast collection of spiritual values of humanity. But everyone can keep in mind
at least a vague sense of their presence, and such a feeling can save people
from many unseemly acts.
244. Evil can afford the luxury of
inaction in our imperfect world. Good can not afford it.
245. Sin is everything that causes
for others pain and suffering, or at least inconvenience. All other arguments
on this subject only complicate the problem.
246. "The golden rule of
morality" – "do to others, what you want others to do unto you" –may
be easily challenged in theory: perhaps others want not the same that we want?
But in practice we usually are well aware of what others want or do not want,
and attract all theories only to justify our unsightly actions.
248. It is much easier to live with
conviction that our life has a sense, than without such conviction.
249. Faith gives a person
understanding of the sense of his life as of a service to God, or at least, to
his prophets. But the problem is that different people believe differently, and
even in different gods, so senses can also be different.
250. If a person can not solve for
himself the question of his mission, he can think at least about the
correctness of the chosen path among many temptations, hesitations and errors
that occur at every step. Destiny may be felt like a journey, but in fact at
every turn we meet a lot of forks, where a completely different way may be
chosen.
251. If our lives had no sense, none
of our deeds had any value.
252. Some philosophers believe that
human existence is the supreme goal in itself, and people must not be asked why
they live. But I still would like to ask murderers, maniacs, thieves and other
such people, why they live.
253. The sense of life can be
perceived only through personal experience, which interweaves with the question
of appointing of a person. Therefore people increasingly look about it in an
old age, and even then not everyone, but only those who are preparing for death
and trying to look back on past life. The majority does not do that.
254. It is bad, if a person lost the
feeling of the sense of life for the life as spontaneous process. Even worse,
if he had nothing to lose.
255. If a person lived all his life
only for himself and left nothing behind, even the memory about himself, – it
is possible to say that his life was wasted, and that is like he never lived.
256. Largely, it is no matter, what
generated our positive or negative qualities: well thought-out convictions or
mental impulses. All the same, the surrounding people and the descendants will
judge us by our deeds, not according to thoughts, which were born in our brain.
258. If a person finds the sense of
his life in the achievement of happiness, it is unlikely that he will be really
happy. In fact, whenever he feels happy, he will ask himself a question with no
answer: "What's next?"
259. The
sense of our life is our reward for all difficulties, losses, miseries, and
finally for the death.
260. Substitution of attempts to
understand the sense of life by setting specific goals – perhaps one of the
worst diseases of mankind. Many people are so accustomed to this, that they do
not see the difference between intent and purpose.
261. If our life had no meaning and
we lived only by the instinct of self-preservation, all the others would not
have cared, if we are still alive or already dead.
262. Attitude towards life as a duty
before God, humanity, a nation or the family is well at least by that if we
still have to suffer and endure hardships, so at least with a sense of duty.
263. If we imagine our earthly life
as a computer game, in which sooner or later «Game over» appears, what can be
likened to the button «Save»? Only a trace in history – as a maximum, history
of humanity, and at least, of the family.
264. All human beings are capable of
honest work and children raising. Many are able to leave behind scientific
works, inventions or works of art. The sense of our life is in all this. And if
life has the sense, it must have also a result, which can be evaluated as
follows: how we worked, what children raised up, what works created.
265. We must remember that the death
can come at any moment (as they say, a brick may fall on the head), and every
our act may be the last in the life. Therefore it is necessary to act so, as if
it had been indeed the last – this means, as well as possible. And then,
whenever the death will come, we can say with certainty that we did not live in
vain.
266. There is truth in the absence of
eternal life on the Earth. Let us imagine, what a great impediment for
development in the case of eternal life would have been those imaginary
authorities, from whom mankind has a chance to get rid at least in the case of
their death or retirement.
267. Ends our mission on the Earth
with our death or not? It depends primarily on that we have done in the life.
268. If a person all his life does
nothing but chases pleasures, he resents the arrival of old age and the death
like a child who has lost a toy.
269. The more a person can tell you
in answer to the question: "What did you do in your life?", it is the
less likely that he will finish his story saying: "I fulfilled all that
was due, now I can die in peace".
270. Death is the only inevitable event
in our earthly life, and preparation for it in order to meet it adequately, –
is one of the most serious of our tasks.
271. Perhaps there is justice in the
fact that no philosophical understanding of the death allows us to stifle our
instincts, which force us to mourn the deads.
272. As mankind does not know
alternatives to the death of a physical body, it is stupid and useless to be
afraid of it.
273. Summing up our life in an old
age, we must remember that these results are not conclusive: there is still if
not God's court, then certainly the court of posterity.
274. There are not many people in the
world, who are able to understand that the unavoidance of death makes it the
crown of life. All the rest are covered by such fear of the end, that often
believe only in doctors-gerontologists.
275. If a man lives only in order to
maintain his life, it just means that he is dying slowly.
276. We can not defeat the death, but
we can cheat it, having continued ourselves in our works and posterity.
277. Most thoughts about the imminent
end of the world are generated by the primitive desire "nothing after
us". Probably for many people, who realized that they left nothing to
humanity, it would have indeed been easier to die together with it.
279. Since we are unable to eternal
life on the Earth, let us try to give eternal life at least to our earthly
works.
280. I am ready to admit that a
person may consider his life as a capital, which should be invested with the
maximum benefit with the minimum risk. Question – where invested? As we know,
investments can be short-term and long-term. And long-term investments,
although yield less immediate benefit, can "work" for many centuries,
if not forever. And this benefit is to be measured not in money, but in far
more weighty values, among which the gratitude of descendants is not even the
biggest.
281. Why such time unit, as eternity,
should not exist?
282. Due to our limitations, we can
not know if God exists or not, but we can choose for ourselves one of the two
versions. There will be something like a lottery: "guessed – not
guessed". What version to choose? Undoubtedly, the existence of good,
omnipotent and just God, because if we win, then we obtain hope for immortality
of the soul, and in case of loss, in fact, lose nothing.
283. Those, who pray to good and
almighty God, regardless of their religious faith, have to believe in
immortality of the soul: otherwise they would have to admit that God kills
everyone at the end of the earthly life. But God is no murderer.
284. How great and boundless the Universe
is, comparing to our capabilities in the earthly life! For someone, this
understanding means to be confined to the horror of his close little world, for
others – the joy because the possibility of our cognition is as big and
boundless as the Universe. And that is a pledge of eternal life, if even not of
a specific person, then of humanity as a whole.
285. Ancient proverb says: "The
devil is in details". But God is also in details. There is no life without
details. It is impossible to solve only global issues.
286. We have to grow up prior to
everything in life, even so far as to follow our own principles.
287. It is better to assume that
others can more easily do without us, what we – without them. Even if it is
actually not true.
288. Neither one, who is developing
as a person, nor one, who degrades, can do without anxiety and worry. But the
latter is awaited also by depression. The conclusion is simple: in terms of
self-feeling it is better to develop than to degrade.
289. As it is extremely difficult to
tell a genuine authority from an imaginary, it is better to trust blindly
neither the one nor the other.
291. There is no need to expect
happiness and pleasures from life, but there is also no need to ask life for
pain. Hence, there is one step to search of non-existent injuries on the body.
292. You think that you are tired of
life? Take a walk in the fresh air, sleep enough, and fatigue will pass.
293. Being a narcissist is like
upsetting that you are no longer the charming child, who was caressed by the
mother. With such narcissism the life can turn into hell.
294. It is almost impossible to
persuade adult people, who have their own opinion. We can only convince those
ones, who have not yet their point of view.
295. Everyone decides for himself,
what is better for him: not to trust people or to be cheated by them. However,
even the most distrustful one can also be cheated.
296. It is useless to attempt to
dissociate oneself from the outside world for the sake of less anxiety in the life.
It is better just not to succumb to this anxiety.
297. Only superficial and
non-thinking people fear of old age and create a bizarre cult of youth. Every
age has its own unique content.
298. Shopkeepers earn on
extravagance, farmers – on high prices for food, doctors – on diseases, judges
– on conflicts, police – on crime, militaries – on wars... And how many times
was the success of each of us based on failures of others? Let us admit it
frankly and try to make this happen less often.
299. One must not turn steadiness
into indifference.
300. If there is nothing else to rely
on, we have to rely on the opinion of majority.
301. We should not
tell people in the eyes about their weaknesses, we should pity them. Anyone,
who has a weakness, is worthy of pity.
302. If you warmed a snake on your
breast, it may bite you even because you have extended her very hard life, and
she did not ask about it. However, it can bite you just for no reason.
303. All
words about impossibility of quiet achieving are valid only in respect of our
relations with the outside world. Inside us, quiet is not only possible,
but also useful – if only it does not turn into complacency.
304. Such feelings as greed, envy,
hatred or jealousy steal happiness from a human.
305. It is a pity to see how well
said words are forgotten, not reaching the goal – hearts and minds of people.
Therefore it is better to write these words, and to publish if possible, at
least in the Internet. Then they at least have a chance.
306. It is difficult without friends,
but it is even more difficult when there are too many friends.
307. Zeal is useful in any case. But there are situations when excessive zeal harms:
for example, if we try too hard to convince someone in our rightness, there is
the risk to arouse suspicion in selfish intentions.
308. Our
body, clothing, house etc. are the boundaries between the inner world and the
outer world. They do not necessarily have to be closed, but certainly have to
be in fair condition. Figuratively speaking, there must be fresh paint
on the border columns.
310. Crimes of others are not an
excuse for our crimes. Mistakes of others may be even less excuse for our
mistakes.
311. Everything unlearned and unread in
childhood is usually impossible to be caught up in adulthood: there is not
enough time and ability for that.
312. If we deserve praise, it is best
to treat it with indifference (as any praise), but if such praise pleases – it
is just a small forgivable weakness. The really bad thing is if a person is
delighted of an undeserved praise.
313. It is never too early, but
sometimes too late to ask ourselves if we are engaged in a serious affair or in
nonsense.
314. We can extract more value from
merits of our opponents than of their weaknesses.
315. The coincidence of random
factors plays a very important role in every affair. Almost a lottery turns
out. But the chances of winning in this lottery increase if we buy a lottery
ticket – that is seriously prepare for the deal.
316. It is sometimes more difficult
to get ready to do something than to do that.
317. One may doubt and hesitate
before a decision is made. But when it is taken, we must act, without being
distracted by doubts, fears and hesitations. The only thing, that can distract
us, is the thinking about future decisions.
318. Probably it is necessary to be
really great not to lose touch with reality, when everyone around every day
tells you that you are great.
319. There are women, who believe
that men are needed for sex, money, restaurants, buying expensive things – and
that's all. They do not realize that it is possible to love, spare, save, heal,
and raise children together. As a result, they are transformed with an age into
rapacious monsters and victims of plastic surgery, because for them the leaving
of beauty is a tragedy of the life.
320. How often we confuse true things
with convincing things!
321. There is no need to indulge our
weaknesses, and even more to complain about anything. That will not help us,
will only hinder.
322. If your beliefs are shared by
nobody, it is a good reason to think if you are a genius or just a morbid
person.
323. Many people believe that they
must tell truth, but not to convince in it, and even more so not to make
believe in it. In fact, it is useless to make believe. But it is necessary to
convince.
324. Self-importance does not let
people assess the situation soberly.
326. If a person realizes that all
his life was just rubbish, it means that not all is lost for him.
327. It is usually useless to brand
traitors by disgrace: they knew what they were doing.
328. Excessive prudence hurts
sometimes. Selflessness, recklessness and rashness are often needed to achieve
heights in every affair.
329. If we do not take care about the
future, then there is a big chance that it also will not take care of us.
330. If every morning we ask
ourselves: "What am I going to do today?", and every evening ask:
"Have I done everything?" – global life plans may be fulfilled much
more successfully.
331. The best (though not always
possible) way to meet needs is rejection of them.
332. Should a human suffer because he
does not suffer when others suffer? To suffer or not to suffer – that is his
personal concern, but he must ask such a question in any case.
333. Let us have no fear. Reasonable
care is enough.
334. Care of the future should not be
postponed for the future.
335. Independently, how bad our
situation is, we should not blame external circumstances, which are beyond our
responsibility – from the road traffic to the position of stars on the sky.
Blaming external circumstances, we undermine our own will to struggle for
improvement of our situation.
336. There are very few scoundrels,
who frankly tell themselves and others that they commit meanness by mercenary
motives. Most of them try to establish their behavior on high moral principles.
And the saddest thing is that many of them manage to do that.
337. If we want to achieve something,
we ourselves must firstly believe that we can do it. Otherwise, the chance for
success is much lower.
338. Persistence is not a less
dignity of a man than the ability of exploit.
339. Jealousy causes a human to
perceive any value of everyone else (money, car, home, success and even talent)
as stolen from him personally.
340. Each person has a need for
complacency, but the fee for complacency is usually too high. Often it is necessary
to pay the life.
341. One of our character’s features,
against which it is desirable to struggle constantly, – mood changes depending
on our successes and failures.
342. Shouldn’t we think, how much
time and efforts we spend on envy, criticism, and in general – on destruction
of others’ things instead of creation of our own? Rarely our enemies are so
capable of stealing of our time and effort, as we do ourselves.
343. Laziness is a luxury that we can
not afford.
344. The life of weak-willed and dependent
people sooner or later becomes a conglomeration of coincidences.
345. Is it worth fawning before a
hungry tiger in the hope that he will not eat you? Unlikely, because at best it
will eat you not for breakfast, but for dinner.
346. If a person replaces clear
evidence or passionate conviction by commanding notes in the voice, he does not
worth trust.
347. Love can occur suddenly and pass
unexpectedly. Respect is much more serious, stable and reliable feeling.
Therefore, respect without love is preferable to love without respect.
348. Perhaps the most important work
in our life is a work on mistakes.
349. It is often said that good
intentions pave the road to hell. Maybe so, but we can not abandon them,
because they also pave the road to paradise.
350. There is only one way to become
free from blame for the mistakes of the past: to be sure that they will not be
repeated.
351. Our experience usually allows us
to find boundaries between the need to adapt and the ability not to adapt to
circumstances. But sometimes we encounter some circumstances for the first
time, and life experience is useless. Then only our principles of life can
help. And even if we make a mistake, anyway we shall know that have not gone
against ourselves.
352. It is good if we have enough
willpower to start life anew at some moment. But we must remember that the
elder we are at this point, the shorter this new life is.
353. Character flaws can be corrected
by intellect, by the means of constantly monitoring of our words and deeds.
Lack of intellect can be replaced by strong character to a much lesser extent.
354. Let us not expect from people
that they will justify our expectations. But if we try to justify their
expectations, it appears more likely that our expectations and the expectations
of surrounding people match.
355. It is doubly difficult to be
lazy: it is necessary to do every affair by force, and the affair itself will
be done worse.
356. It is better to give advices
only if we are confident that our advice will be followed immediately. In all
other cases, there is a risk that our advice will be accepted only as a rebuke.
357. It is very dangerous to trust
blindly our sense of rightness: it depends on criterions, which are false very
often.
358. If at some point you are
surrounded only by bad people, do not forget that humanity consists not only of
them, and do not be like them.
359. People often seem silly to each
other. But in reality they just do not always understand each other, and certainly
do not always want to look at the world from the positions of another person.
360. Luck can come to everyone. But
it may be used only by people who have talent, willpower, ability to work and
experience.
361. Life is granted to us. But this
gift is not absolute: we are obliged to keep it and pass to descendants.
362. The main means for the deserving
meeting of the future is the deserving past. However, there remains a chance to
correct the disgraceful past by the deserving present.
363. If we could look at the world
through the eyes of a butterfly, then perhaps would see that it feels time
quite differently than we do, and manages to survive our age in one day. This
we can feel ourselves: sometimes time seems to crawl, and sometimes – to fly.
In short, time as a universal equivalent and time as our internal state can
vary greatly. So, we are able to prolong our lives, imbuing them by events and
slowing our sense of time down.
364. If we want to learn to do every
affair good, we must firstly learn to relate to life as to our main affair.
365. Never put off till tomorrow the
thought, which you can think today.
© Sergey Zagraevsky