“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
– Leo Tolstoy
He who thinks little, errs much.â€
Leonardo da Vinci
It seems to me, the wisdom and lessons of the past are ignored because humans are too egotistical and short sighted to think there once were and still are smarter & wiser people then themselves. So they try do everything ‘their way’ beause they think they are special or unique or smarter (sorry you are not), and yet often fail because they have not learnt the lessons of the past or even about themselves, and so, are forever repeating the ‘same mistakes’ humanity has done before over and over again in each generation ~ from mistakes in how to love, how to grow up, how to be a good lover, a good husband, a good wife, a good parent or a good friend.
All errors and mistakes start in the mind no where else. When this is poor, so shall your external world be.
Take some time to learn about yourself first.
In life, try take some positive steps for once. You don’t have to see the whole spiral staircase. Just take one step at a time towards self improvement. Then watch as your “self image: changes. Afterall, are not all human beings largely driven by their “self image” that they both create themselves or let others create for them.
Stop fearing….start trying ….
Thoughts are invisible and intangible but they are so very very powerful, be they negative or positive. Are they your thoughts or are they others lessser thoughts you have inherited whether through bullying, teasing, abuse? In this case be arrogant and dismiss other people’s lesser thoughts and replace with positive ones and grow them.
All people are fundamentally their thoughts. If you can change the way people think. The way they see themselves. The way they see the world. You can change the way people live their lives.
Good luck, but mostly, work hard, there is no such thing is luck.
15 comments
I like you Adastra, but that is bull.
“no such thing as luck”… What the fuck?
Tell that to the kids starving in Somalia at the moment. If they had been born in a different place, they’d be fine.
Tell that to the girl from my hometown who was sitting on a rail that broke, and fell 4 metres, breaking her back. She is now paralyzed from the waist down.
There is SO such a thing as luck. In fact, it is a major force in the world.
Self-help authors like to tell us that it’s all in our own hands. I guess that lie sells more books, than the inconvenient truth.
Ugh.
Sorry to come down so hard on you, but man oh man I disagree.
Still like you a lot though, one of the kindest people I’ve “met”. 🙂
People in places like Somalia have been starving for generations – just because their dietary needs to match our view of them is no proof of “luck” – everyone’s situation and station in life can be changed if they were born somewhere else or to different parents – but if being hungry was an automatic death sentence there would be no Somalia – what if those kids were born in north Korea or Afghanistan?
As for the girl in your town? What is a “rail” for? If you said she was sitting in a chair it might have had more impact on your argument, but a “rail” is not a chair – so she made a poor choice to sit on something that is not meant for sitting – luck hardly applies – that’s not to say that I don’t feel bad for her – but she chose to sit on something that wasn’t meant to be sat on.
we can call it luck all day and we can and do rely on it but in fact it is actually hope and chance … plying the odds and hoping for a good result – all of which are not a “force” in the universe that we can manipulate or quantify. self help authors sell there books to explain how making sound choices will increase positive outcomes in your life.
how many people say “I wish I could win the lottery” … now how many of them actually buy a ticket? Why DON’T they buy the ticket? Because a $1 ticket gives you a 1 in 23 million chance to eat tonight … but buying a $1 burger at McD’s give you a 100% chance you will eat tonight. … that’s not luck – that’s logic
And yes – AdAstra is a pretty good and smart person – but I think I’d be safe in saying you don’t need to apologize to him 😉 he’s good like that
lucky dawg
A game of solitaire can often be considered a game of luck. Just like life sometime it makes no difference how you play the game. Your card was never going to be released.
Dawg, what the hell do you mean?
Kids are dying by the thousands in Somalia, dying of hunger. Me, I’m not dying of hunger, because I was born somewhere else. That is pure luck for me, it has nothing to do with effort on my part. I was born here, lucky, they weren’t, unlucky.
About the girl on the rail: I bet there are few people in the world who haven’t sat on a rail at some point, I certainly have. Many many people have probably sat on that exact same rail she was sitting on. Unfortunately, the rail broke this time. That is, again, purely and utterly fucking unlucky.
The point is: Making “sound choices”, whatever the fuck that means, MIGHT increase positive outcomes in your life. Or, it might NOT. No one can tell in advance.
Likewise, making retarded choices might ruin your life. Or it might have no effect whatsoever.
As for self-help authors, these are people who got lucky in life, and are vain enough to think it was their own doing. They then decide to profit off their good fortune by telling all the less fortunate people that essentially it is their own fault that their life sucks. Charming.
I wasn’t apologising to you, I was apologising to adastra.
Have to agree with muspehem – while life is fraught with risk, much of that risk is informed by circumstances beyond our control, for example, the birth lottery, which is pure luck. To suggest otherwise is to suggest that there is an element of choice, or an element of poor choice, or some form of deserving/undeserving karma at work. Which in turn is much crappy European 19th century philosphy writ as folklore. And we all know what that led to in the 20th century.
@muspelhem Then I guess the rest of the world should be more generous and ship some more “luck” to Somalia – yes there are thousands starving and dying – but I think if you asked them if they want a boat load of “luck” or a boatload for food – I’d think they’d opt for the food … since apparently the type of “luck” one might receive doesn’t come with the “ingredients” listed (good or bad) on the package. Oh – and all those “lucky” kids – came from parents who CHOSE to have them under those conditions – the only “lucky” involved was that someone got laid 😉
And as for the girl – I am truly sorry for her injury and condition – but that does NOT change the fact that she CHOSE to sit on something that was NOT meant for or made to be sat on – I don’t care how many people have sat on similar or same rails – rails are NOT made for it and to choose to do so is an UNsound choice to do something that incurs unnecessary risk. … evidently her family didn’t make the proper “luck” payments – or perhaps she should have picked up a box of “luck” at the store beforehand.
And yes, I’ve sat on railings – I also check the anchor bolts and test it to ensure it is relatively safe and then I sit at or near one of the anchored posts – but it it is at and height to speak of (usually anything above 2nd floor) I wont sit on it no matter how safe. Those are my conscious choices … If I sit on it and it fails, it will be because I failed with my inspection
but if like you say;
…”
The point is: Making “sound choicesâ€, whatever the fuck that means, MIGHT increase positive outcomes in your life. Or, it might NOT. No one can tell in advance.
Likewise, making retarded choices might ruin your life. Or it might have no effect whatsoever.
“…
Even your own point doesn’t enter “luck” into the equation – if it’s not Choices – then it’s Randomness … Period.
and self-help authors – jeeze, what did they ever do to you? …
a guy has an idea, and writes a book – nothing “lucky” there.
If it’s a good enough subject and it’s well written, people will buy it – a lot … no “luck” there – all skill which means if it does sell, the guy/gal has reason to be boastful. charm not withstanding
and ‘fortunes’ are made – not given … so the less fortunate do need to make theirs (and that includes me) … luck never enters into it
and lastly – I KNOW you were apologizing to adastra – please re-read what I wrote and you will see that is precisely what I said.
Bottom line – show me where this “luck” is … where is it made, where can it be bought, collected, harvested … how is it manifested or measured?
charm dawg
Who really gives a shit?! Go do something productive instead about arguing about what’s right. Additionally, that argument about the girl sitting in a chair vs. a rail is so fucked up and heartless. It’s easy to say that when u walk just fine. Ew. That shit makes me wanna go kick a puppy.
@amoradae – really? We’re “fucked up and heartless”? … yet you want to “kick puppies”
It’s good to know that we have SO much power over you as to force you to read our thread – now if ONLY we could get you to actually comprehend it. just because you don’t “get it” does not mean you should criticize us.
If anyone here is unproductive here – it’s you – not only are you wasting time reading about something you clearly don’t understand … but then you immortalize your ignorance with a post that assumes – wrongly – that we are “arguing” … we’re not, we’re debating … and we are clearly debating a subject which you somehow failed to comprehend – which means you doubly wasted YOUR time, energy and productivity by applying ignorant and misguided “thoughts” into showing how utterly clueless you are. and then you go on to illustrate your total contempt for anyone or anything.
your misguided understanding of the subject matter could have angered you to the point of doing many different things … like smash a plate, or punch a wall or slam a door … but no … you CHOSE to illustrate YOUR ignorance with KICKING a PUPPY!
why anyone on this site would think you have anything positive or helpful to offer them after THAT brilliantly sadistic revelation is beyond me. I will make sure to make a point to everyone you talk with on this site knows that this is how you handle YOUR issues and that any of your ‘advice’ should be understood in this context.
FYI – the whole discussion of the sad tragedy of the girl who fell is NOT the point of this post or the debate. i wonder if you’ll take the opportunity to reread the thread to figure out it’s true point or if you’ll just tell me I’m an ass and go kick your puppy? If you do, you better hope me, or someone like me doesn’t see you do it.
mystery dawg
Let’s say you live in Japan. There’s an earthquake, then a tsunami, tons of people die. Let”say your driving northbound on the highway, someone driving south has a heart-attack, cosses the center median, takes you out head on. Let’s pretend you’re a passenger on the Titanic, the ship starts sinking….how is this your fault?
How is this not bad luck outside of our realm of control?
Wow, didn’t think such a generalized post would fire up the masses.
Ok a few things.
I second what dawg says, you don’t have to apologize for making a statement which disagrees with anyone, and positive or negative views of me personally are water of a ducks back, so all cool there.
Firstly, my post was more for the younger people here that may not always have positive people around them and so get down about eveyrday life. Not starving children in terribly run countries. Good thoughts really are like good software for the brain. And sadly not all young people develop good thinking habits and yet it would be safe to say a large majority of our lives is dicatated by our thoughts.
That said, yes luck, both good and bad can have some bearing on our lives absolutely. we can think like an actuary and assess risk and benefits but few really or even to think in such a way. So I don’t disagree with the concept of luck per se, I’m just saying in everyday lives, we shouldn’t blindly subordinate our lives to such a concept when human capacity can far overcome an approach based on luck.
Waiting for luck is overly optimistic and a road to poor street just as waiting for bad luck is overly pessimistic and detrimental.
That said, whilst the children of poorly run nations, if you can call them that, Suffer needlessly, if their leaders where better people and better problem solvers, then the majority of problems in those nations would be solved. Instead, due to their absence of morals and intellect, they screw over otherwise helpless people to line their own pockets.
In the long term, it’s always thoughts and deeds that define us. When these are guided by some level of decency and morality, things get better. But we are currently heading in the wrong direction.
Don’t get me started on politics. Suffice to say I fluctuate somewhere between a benevolent dictator and One who ain’t. I would have no qualms in taking out all these third world dictators and freeing them of their thefts and making them watch as I give it out to the people, and then putting them on hard labour for the rest of their lives at the bottom rung.
But I’m digressing. Yes luck both good and bad exist. But we shouldn’t base our lives around it. Focus on what we can control, and disregard ( in part) what we can’t.
Is their room for improvement in this world? Hell yes…. And it starts by looking at ourselves and improving our thinking. If those in power did this, the world might be a half decent place.
Wow, didn’t think such a generalized post would fire up the masses.
Ok a few things.
I second what dawg says, you don’t have to apologize for making a statement which disagrees with anyone, and positive or negative views of me personally are water of a ducks back, so all cool there.
Firstly, my post was more for the younger people here that may not always have positive people around them and so get down about eveyrday life. Not starving children in terribly run countries. Good thoughts really are like good software for the brain. And sadly not all young people develop good thinking habits and yet it would be safe to say a large majority of our lives is dicatated by our thoughts.
That said, yes luck, both good and bad can have some bearing on our lives absolutely. we can think like an actuary and assess risk and benefits but few really or even to think in such a way. So I don’t disagree with the concept of luck per se, I’m just saying in everyday lives, we shouldn’t blindly subordinate our lives to such a concept when human capacity can far overcome an approach based on luck.
Waiting for luck is overly optimistic and a road to poor street just as waiting for bad luck is overly pessimistic and detrimental.
That said, whilst the children of poorly run nations, if you can call them that, Suffer needlessly, if their leaders where better people and better problem solvers, then the majority of problems in those nations would be solved. Instead, due to their absence of morals and intellect, they screw over otherwise helpless people to line their own pockets.
In the long term, it’s always thoughts and deeds that define us. When these are guided by some level of decency and morality, things get better. But we are currently heading in the wrong direction.
Don’t get me started on politics. Suffice to say I fluctuate somewhere between a benevolent dictator and One who ain’t. I would have no qualms in taking out all these third world dictators and freeing them of their thefts and making them watch as I give it out to the people, and then putting them on hard labour for the rest of their lives at the bottom rung.
But I’m digressing. Yes luck both good and bad exist. But we shouldn’t base our lives around it. Focus on what we can control, and disregard ( in part) what we can’t.
Is their room for improvement in this world? Hell yes…. And it starts by looking at ourselves and improving our thinking. If those in power did this, the world might be a half decent place.
And for the record, I play tournament poker, so yes I know all about luck or more accurately mathematical probabilities. If your mind is a pie graph, how much of it is focused on positive and negative and luck and bad luck?
I prefer to let thoughts and actions define me. It luck or bad luck. My comment as no such thing as luck is maybe a little flippant, but you get the point I’m trying to make. Fair comments otherwise.
Wise words Addy,
Yet I still stand by my disbelief in “luck’ as a force that bends and shapes events. – if one believes in some such force that meddles in our destiny then one should have complete and total faith in God … I don’t … but that’s me.
i think “luck’ is just an economical and poetic way of saying – “I hope random chance gives you a good outcome’ … that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue like “Good Luck” 😉
But that doesn’t make ‘luck” anything another than random happenstance of a coin flip
chance dawg
Quantum mechanics
Lol dawg, yep I’m not sure that will reach everyday parlance. I get what others are saying though. Eg if you are in a tsunami at boxing day as a few years ago, and on your honeymoon, is that maybe bad luck?
That said, the best of quantum mechanics to everyone, may your day be filled with positive photons, neutrinos, amen.