I am sharing a collection of thoughts reflecting the vicissitudes of life. Most thoughts and observations are from the minds of great men who graced this planet. A few are mine. An obvious malady for people with imagination and an eye for observation is that they fantasize excessively. Instead of letting those fantastic thoughts go to oblivion, they drape those thoughts in words for posterity to enjoy what was privy to them.
A word of caution, most of the thoughts are humorous, some serious, and some downright outlandish. However, I assure you all of them are thought-provoking. All quotes and observations are followed by a comment on them from me. Happy reading…
“Every time a man puts a new idea across he finds ten men who thought of it before he did – but they only thought of it.” – Anonymous.
Many people think, and think deeply. But that’s just it. They seldom put their thoughts into action. The ability to work on an idea or thought is what matters - mbf
“Everyone has something to offer, you can’t always be wrong… Even a clock that stops is right twice a day.” Anonymous.
Many people in lower positions have a lot to offer, but how many people in higher positions are willing to listen without getting their egos singed? Even a watchman at the office has something good to offer, only if we have the patience to listen - mbf
“It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test.” – Elbert Hubbard
How many people encourage talent in their subordinates? Incompetent people like to maintain mediocre standards. It’s because of their insecurity that they do not allow talent to bloom - mbf
“Most people prefer to sit with problems they understand, rather than look for solutions they are uncomfortable with.” - Anonymous
For most people, the known devil is better than an unknown angel. There is a sense of inertia in change, so people resist change. Another way of looking at it is if our forefathers did it in a particular way, then they must be right - mbf
To see is one thing. To observe what you see is another. To understand from what you observe is yet another. To learn from what you understand is still something else. But, to act on what you learn is all that matters – my observation.
Don’t beat about the bush, just do it. Theories are good, but actions are better - mbf
“It is not the lofty sails, but the unseen wind that moves the ship.” – Admiral Ray Smith
If the CEO of a company is the sail, his entire team is the unseen wind. The lowly cadres are the unsung heroes who deserve a lot more credit than they usually get. The reason they don’t get is because this world is full of pompous sails - mbf
“The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they can't do.” – Denis Waitley
In short, winners live in the present, losers live in the past. And, I believe, those active in the present inherit the future - mbf
Procrastination is a cunning imposter. It disguises itself in the mundane tasks that we find ourselves doing even when our attention should have been elsewhere. My observation.
We feel that delay is our birthright and we are well aware of it in as much as we forget our other birthrights. It forced Northcote Parkinson to write a whole book on ‘delay’. He even titled it “The Law of Delay” - mbf
“In college, we used to solve our problems over coffee and cigarettes; now, they are our problems”. - Anonymous
This is so true of the younger generation. The younger generation are like magnets to any kind of problem. And generally, one problem leads to another. Even if it isn’t a problem, they will make it one so they can get busy trying to solve it - mbf
“Board meetings are a place where they keep minutes and waste hours.” – The Free Dictionary
I think this should be read in conjunction with another gem…
“A committee is a group of people who individually can do nothing, but meet collectively to decide that nothing can be done.” – Fred Allen
This one takes the cake.
I am surprised how much time is wasted in meetings with the possibility of nothing concrete coming out except that all the members are happy to voice their two-cent opinions. Again, Northcote Parkinson had some great insights on committees and meetings in his famous book ‘’Parkinson’s Law” - mbf
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I like work; it certainly fascinates me. I can sit and stare at it for hours together without getting overwhelmed. I love to keep it by myself; only the task of finishing it depresses me—my observation.
There is one more relating to work I like.
“There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it.” – Andrew Jackson
This is so true in government and other public sector offices. Northcote Parkinson brought that out beautifully in his book which delved on among other things the “Prohibitive Procrastinator” - mbf
“Every man who is high up likes to believe he has done it all by himself, and the wife smiles and lets it go at that.” – Francis Leye
Why is every successful man vain and boastful of his ability and credibility? Maybe, because they have such short memories of their struggling days and the people who believed in and supported them - mbf
“Beauty in women is that potent alchemy, which can transform men into asses.” – Abraham Miller
If you don’t believe it, read Helen of Troy, The Face that launched a thousand ships. Or close to home, the story of Sage Viswamitra and the beautiful Apsara, Menaka. I guess no elaboration is needed - mbf
“After you make loads of money, you have to hire an accountant to explain to the Tax authorities how you beat others to it.” – My observation.
Taking inspiration from Jane Austen -- It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a rich man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of an ‘accountant’ - mbf
“It is an established fact that out of every five women haters, only one is a male.” - Anonymous
That explains why so much bitching goes around these days. If you are still not sure, watch Ekta Kapoor's teleserials, or perhaps Big Boss - mbf
“If a little knowledge is dangerous, where is the man who has so much as to be out of danger?” – Thomas Huxley
This is a real humdinger. Reminds you of Catch-22. Yes, little knowledge is dangerous, but in the quest for great knowledge, one must tread a treacherous path - mbf
“Most people overlook the fact that ability is inversely proportional to the size of the briefcase.” – Anonymous
Rich and pompous people carry a briefcase, which contains nothing worthwhile. It’s just for public consumption and the urge to feel and look important - mbf
“Great things we can’t do. Small things we won’t do. The risk is that, between the two, we shall end up doing nothing.” – My Observation.
We always make grandiose plans that never take off. In the process, we ignore the little things that require our attention. The result is a failure - mbf
“Ignorance, power and ego are a deadly mixture.” – loosely attributed to C S Lewis
Nature, generally speaking, has a propensity to place power in the hands of those people who don’t deserve it or are incapable of handling it. Genuine deserving people don’t get it because they don’t seek it. They know how intoxicating and dangerous absolute power is - mbf
“Woman is the builder and moulder of a nation’s destiny, though delicate and soft as a lily, she has a heart, stronger and bolder than that of man.” – Rabindranath Tagore
The great Rabindranath Tagore hit the nail on the head. So true in every facet. My respect for RT as a human being went up a few notches when I came across this quote - mbf
“The bees are contemplating going on strike too; they want shorter flower stems, more honey, and indestructible honeycombs.” – my thoughts.
In India, everyone has a right to go on strike and I thought, maybe we could extend it to the insect and animal world - mbf
“If the Sun is really pouring out all that energy; how come we get so lazy when we sit out under it”?
The thought occurred to me when I was in high school. Not sure where it came from. Ten minutes out under the mid-day Sun could change our minds about soaking in all that energy.
“Any fool can be fussy and rid himself of energy all over the place, but a man has to have something in him before he can settle down to do nothing.” – J B Priestley
Another one that is close to my heart. There is an element of humour in the thought. Moreover, if you ponder, there is just as much serious thought in the humour - mbf
“Late middle age is known as the age of metal; the time of life when you have Silver in the hair, Gold in the teeth, and Lead in the feet.” – No clear info about the origin.
There is one problem though; in late middle age, there is a dearth of Iron in your blood - mbf
Character! The courage to say ‘No’ when it would be easier to say ‘Yes’, and the will to say ‘Yes’ when it would be selfish to say ‘No’.” – From experience and discussions, could also be anonymous.
Just be yourself and don’t compromise on your principles - mbf
In the grammatically correct home, the wife says, “You shall…” and the husband says, “I will”.
I am not sure how this popped into my head, could be from a humorous book I read but can’t recall which one.
Anyways, full marks for the grammar. After reading this, you can’t go wrong with the usage concerning ‘shall’ or ‘will’ - mbf
“For twenty-five years I tried to change my wife, I couldn’t… then, I thought for twenty-five minutes and decided to change myself.” – This thought has been with me for quite some years, don’t know where it came from. Once again, the benefit of the doubt goes to that bloke, Mr. Anonymous.
Why do people waste years and years trying to change human traits? At least for women, it is not easy. Men must understand that - mbf
“Some women not only meet their husbands halfway… but, on paydays they go right to the office.” – Again, not sure how this thought popped into my head.
I did find a lot of better halves outside the offices of their hubbies, ostensibly for an evening film followed by dinner at a restaurant. Some did go to grab the pay packet - mbf
“Before I got married, I had six theories about bringing up children… now, I have six children and no theories.” - Lord Rochester
Good that he had children. Else those theories would have been dumped upon us. Anyway, theories are theories, and children are a lot better - mbf
“The real problem of leisure time is how to keep others from using yours.” – Arthur Lacey.
I can relate to that entirely. I was always at the receiving end - mbf
“The respect of those you respect is worth more than the applause of the multitude.” – Arnold Glasgow
I always believed this to be one of the axioms of my life. Applause is always temporary and can fade quickly, whereas, respect is permanent and can be lifelong - mbf
“We are humans solely because we possess the faculty of reasoning. Yet it is a rare thing to find a man who is truly reasonable.” – This quote is attributed to Saint Francis de Sales though I cannot confirm.
Such an irony, the only thing that differentiates us from the animals is reasoning. Yet, most of us are lacking in it. So, should we still call ourselves humans? -mbf
“If you don’t stand for something, you are liable to fall for anything.” - Alexander Hamilton
True character is when you have taken a decision and stood by it. Fickle-mindedness never helped anyone except to help you lose credibility - mbf
“The greatest joy is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Jason Drew
The analogy that comes to my mind is that of the spider building its silken web. Each time the wind blows and the branches sway the unfinished web is broken. Yet the spider never loses heart. It’s on to the job in a flash the moment the wind subsides. At last, it weaves a perfect web and seems to ask the fly… “Welcome to my parlour” - mbf
“One of today’s major problems is not that computers are being made to think like humans, but humans are beginning to think like computers, and that is a tragedy.” – I came across this while reading a sci-fi book and I am unable to recall which one. Coming to the quote, a worst-case scenario if ever there was one - mbf
“The world of future is a real hell and we should escape from it wherever we see a way out… but where?” – Anonymous
Yes, the question is where. It is not the Earth that is the problem; it is we humans who have ruled over it with disdain. How can we escape from ourselves? - mbf
“Remember that even if you are on the right track, you will get run over… if you just sit there.” – Will Rogers
Right direction is important but we need to move fast to make the most of it. Procrastination can only waste time and make matters worse - mbf
“The longest and most difficult journey is the journey inward.” - Dag Hammarskjold
Know first what you are before you try to know about others. We are not sure what our faults are, yet, we try to find fault in others. We should stop taking things for granted, about ourselves. - mbf
“Every generation passes from the spontaneity and exuberance of youth to the caution and prudence of old age, and then yields place to the next.” – Anonymous
There is one more that is a little quirky.
“Whenever the old have observed the ways of the youth, they have foreseen nothing but ruination staring the world in its face… yet the world goes on.” - Anonymous
Change is inevitable; therefore, the only permanent thing is change. Every generation must accept the fact that nothing will remain the way they want it to be. So relent, and be graceful about it - mbf
“There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is the attitude, the big difference is whether it is positive or negative.” - W. Clement Stone
Negativity is more powerful than positivity. One dissatisfied employee can throw a spanner in the works and the whole edifice can come spiraling down. Negativity can also cause great harm to its wielder as it consumes him. It’s a no-win situation. So, avoid negativity at all costs - mbf
“One of today’s greatest riddles is how in a world growing smaller, with population growing larger; people can be drifting further apart.” – Anonymous
I think today’s mobile phones need to answer that if they can speak for themselves, and the day is not far off when such an abstract thought can be a reality. Ironically, this thought originated when mobiles didn’t exist. But it must be said they hastened the process - mbf
“If you can keep your head when all others around you are losing theirs, then maybe you don’t understand the problem.” Ah! This is a hybrid quote. The first half can be attributed to Rudyard Kipling, and the second half is tweaked by me to suit present-day thinking.
What is life? There are two schools of thought… “One school of thought believes that life is what you take from it. The other school of thought maintains that life is what you give to it. If you stand to take, you may gain success. But if you stand to give you may gain both success and happiness.” – Anonymous
I conclude with this gem of a thought that requires no comment. The thought itself is so profound that it should move you to ponder as to your actions.