A good way to start is with a smile, so here are two amusing Yiddish proverbs. 1) “If the rich could hire other people to die for them, the poor could make a wonderful living.” 2) “Poverty is a wonderful thing. It sticks to a man after all his friends have forsaken him.” Wealth and
American Poet and abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892) wrote, “For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been!’” Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), who was a contemporary of John Greenleaf Whittier, staunch abolitionist, and author of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” had this to say, “The bitterest tears shed over
When we meet successful people, we may be tempted to envy them for their great luck. Of course, their success has nothing to do with luck at all. That’s why Virgil, the greatest of the Roman Poets, wrote 2,000 years ago, Fortune sides with him who dares. Its a clever way of saying good fortune
As soon as we leave our little neighborhood and enter the world at large, we are bound to meet people that have different religious, political, and cultural beliefs. During those encounters, do we see the common threads that unite humanity, or do we just see the differences? If we seek the truth, wish to grow,
There’s nothing new about complaining how miserable life is. Ancient Romans complained about suffering and pain. The philosophers of that time responded to complaints humorously. For example, Seneca said, “Remember that pain has this most excellent quality: If prolonged it cannot be severe, and if severe it cannot be prolonged (because you will soon die).”
Why do people do what they do? Because they have reasons, that’s why. But when their reasons are misunderstood or not understood, problems can arise. And often the problems are serious. Relationships may be torn apart, family members may squabble, violence may break out, and countries may go to war – all because of misunderstandings.
