Information is necessary, to be sure, but it is never sufficient. Information must also be believed, especially when it comes to mortal threats . . . only when information is combined with belief does it become knowledge. And only knowledge leads to action.
— The Escape Artist, 309
Tag: wisdom
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When we tell a “human error” story — when we blame the jaywalker, the accident-prone worker, the nut behind the wheel, or the criminal addict — we are being duped into distraction from the ways that we can prevent accidents. And this allows the same accidents to happen again.
— There Are No Accidents, Chapter Six: Racism -
All right. Spoiler if you haven’t read The Sweet Hereafter.
This is wisdom:
- I looked across to Billy Ansel and realized that what frightened and saddened me most about him was that he no longer loved anybody. All the man had was himself. And you can’t love only yourself.
The whole town up and claps for Nichole Burnell, lone survivor of the school bus accident (but secretly sexually abused by her Dad, how nice) Is that pervert Daddy of hers ever going to jail? Newp? Then pardon me, I’m sitting on my hands. This is not redemption. A thousand clapping people don’t make it redemption. Silly me, I want revenge. I’m talking JAIL TIME.
I’m bequeathing my copy of this book to one of the artists here at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre (which, btw, has helped me reach another level of writing. AGAIN. Don’t ask me how or why, it just does)
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The excerpt below is from an essay in Prokhasko’s series FM Galicia.
- There is no truer method for organizing one’s everyday life than wisely adhering to phenology — to the flow of changes in the seasons. If you implement this methodology, you needn’t worry about your mind — it will be free of confusion. And now everything that you do will contain that special joy of making sense. Food will be better, dreams more interesting, and autumn flowing through you.
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Self’s own painting of hyacinths
FREE
You were always free
Just thought yourself otherwise
Unthink + just be.
Listen for birdsong + trees.
If you want to reconnect.- For many years, Joel Tan served as Yerba Buena Center for the Arts’ Director of Educational Outreach. Then he moved to Kapaau, Hawaii and feels so joyful, he’s been posting a poem a day. This one’s from Feb. 26.
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This book came highly recommended by her relatives in Bacolod. The author is/was a Harvard prof, the publisher is Penguin, and it’s been out quite a long time (Copyright: 1998).
She hasn’t read it cover to cover, she just picks it up at random moments. Tonight, the law she is reading about is Law # 19: KNOW WHO YOU ARE DEALING WITH. DO NOT OFFEND THE WRONG PERSON.
Interpretation of the Law:
- Never assume that the person you are dealing with is weaker or less important than you are. Some men are slow to take offense, which may make you misjudge the thickness of their skin, and fail to worry about insulting them. But should you offend their honor or their pride, they will overwhelm you with a violence that seems sudden and extreme given their slowness to anger. If you want to turn people down, it is best to do so politely and respectfully, even if you feel their request is impudent or their offer ridiculous. Never reject them with an insult unless you know them better; you may be dealing with a GENGHIS KHAN.
DUN DUN DUN
Stay tuned.
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Donna looks up, breathes out, and blinks tears from the corners of her eyes.
“Thank you. I’ve felt a bit stupid recently.”
“Loneliness is hard, Donna. It’s one of the big ones.”
“You should do this for a living, you know?”
“You are simply a little lost, Donna. And if one is never lost in life, then clearly one has never traveled anywhere interesting.”
“And you?” asks Donna. “You seem sad.”
“I’m a little sad, yes,” agrees Ibrahim. “I’m frightened, and I can’t see a way through it.”
“Up the next mountain would be my advice,” says Donna.
The Man Who Died Twice, p. 254Richard Osman’s dialogue. That is all.
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Although perhaps he isn’t really boring, if everything you hear is true? Killings and gold and helicopters and whatnot? Though if you need killings and gold and helicopters to make you interesting then I suppose you are still boring at heart. Gerry never needed a helicopter.
The Man Who Died Twice, p. 160Reading this book ever so much faster than she read The Birthday Boys (That book took two damn weeks!) but not trying to rush through because she enjoys the Fearless Four so much.
Next year, she will again join the Goodreads Reading Challenge, but will up her reading goal by 1 or 2. Mustn’t get too ambitious, but this year she almost doubled her reading goals, who would have thought?
Stay tuned.
Kanlaon 