Category: Humility
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Repeated Mistakes
If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake. – Confucius We are human and therefore imperfect. Being imperfect, we will always make mistakes. It is when we feel the pangs of conscience, guilt, regret or shame, and do not correct our actions, that…
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Takes Two To Tango
You, and I. Their team, our team. Their party, our party. Their country, their country. It takes two to make something positive, or negative. If we say something terrible with the intent to harm the other person, they can either choose to be hurt and retaliate, or they can walk…
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Our Day and Age
There is an old Chinese curse that goes something like “May you be born in an interesting time.” The least we can say about our world in 2024 is that it is…..interesting. We live in an age of planes, electric cars, spaceships, artificial intelligence, microchips, robots, smart phones, mass communication,…
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Rectify the names
Zilu said: ‘If the Lord of Wei were waiting for you to run the government, what would you give priority to?’ The Master said: “What is necessary is to rectify names, is it not?’ Zilu said: ‘If this were to take place, it would surely be an aberration of yours.…
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Confucius Series: Humble or Prideful Critique
“A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others.” – 夫子 Master Kong (Confucius) The Analects Where do we aim our critique? Do we aim it at others? Or ourselves? We can find fault with others when it is warranted. But what if it isn’t?…
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Rooted Change
“When we hit our lowest point we are open to the greatest change.” – Avatar Aang In The Legend of Korra, Avatar Aang’s spirit tells this to the new Avatar that proceeds him, Avatar Korra, after she experiences terrible personal tragedy. When we go so low, in whatever way, and…
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Pride and Memory
‘I have done that,’ says my memory. ‘I cannot have done that’ – says my pride, and remains adamant. At last – memory yields. – Friedrich Nietzsche Beyond Good and Evil – Part Four Maxims and Interludes 68 When we make mistakes in life, this occurs. Our memory rises and…
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Chinese Proverb Series: Arrogance
Arrogance is the enemy of victory. – Chinese Proverb We all know this to be true. When we are arrogant, we speak and act incorrectly. We choose the pleasure of anger and pride in the moment and regret our words and actions later. When we are ignorant, we are often…
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Progress not Perfection
To strive for perfection is a high ideal. But I say: “Fulfill something you are able to fulfill rather than run after what you will never achieve.” Nobody is perfect. Remember the saying: “None is good but God alone” [Luke 18:19], and nobody can be. It is an illusion. We…
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Carl Jung Series: Human Together
“There would appear to be a sort of conscience in mankind which severely punishes every one who does not somehow and at some time, at whatever cost to his virtuous pride, cease to defend and assert himself, and instead confess himself fallible and human. Until he can do this, an…
KEEP THE OLD WARM 