# wisdoms * "what are some of the choices you've made that made you who you are?" * "what is the most important thing for you?" * aim for the heart, not the head * honor those who seek the truth, beware of those who've found it * finding the right recipe for kitchen or life: look for details and doers * be cautious and bold * never have anything to do with an unlucky man or place * do what works; do what is right * to every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven * all of man's troubles arise because he cannot sit in a room quietly by himself * easy choices, hard life; hard choices, easy life * the modern struggle: lone individual summoning inhuman willpower, fasting, meditating and exercising - up against armies of scientists and statisticians weaponizing abundant food, screens and medicine into junk food, clickbait news, infinite porn, endless games and addictive drugs * the gentleman harmonizes without being an echo; the petty man echos and does not harmonize * the gentleman is self-assured but not competitive; likes to be in a group but does not form any clique * to get on in the world, a person has to impart sincerity and trust in his words, integrity and respect in his deeds * people are similar by nature; they become distinct through practice * artisans live in their shops in order to master their craft; the gentleman steeps himself in learning in order to perfect the Way * the five essential entrepreneurial skills for success are concentration, discrimination,, organization, innovation, and communication * there is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn't mind who gets the credit * we desire what others desire because we imitate their desires * contemplation is precisely the awareness that this ‘I’ is really ‘not I’ and the awakening of the unknown ‘I’ that is beyond observation and reflection and is incapable of commenting upon itself * when I look within and see that I am nothing, that is wisdom; when I look without and see that I am everything, that is love; between these two, my life turns * carefully observe the way your heart draws you and then choose that way with all your strength * eigenzeit - the time inherent to a process itself; the relentless pressure to be efficient at work, and outside it, is wearing us all down * when the shoe fits, the foot is forgotten; when the belt fits, the belly is forgotten; and when the heart is right, 'for' and 'against' are forgotten * when one is angry, if one can directly forget his anger and examine the right and wrong according to principle, then right and wrong will be clearly seen and desires will naturally be unable to persist ## michael saylor 1. focus your energy 2. guard your time 3. train your mind 4. train your body 5. think for yourself 6. curate your friends 7. curate your environment 8. keep your promises 9. stay cheerful and constructive 10. upgrade the world ## epictetus * control thy passions lest they take vengeance on thee * do not seek to bring things to pass in accordance with your wishes, but wish them as they are, and you will find them * first learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak * he is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has * if you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid * it is impossible to begin to learn that which one thinks one already knows * it is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters * make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens * no man is free who is not master of himself * only the educated are free * people are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them * the key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best * wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants ## hermetic principles * mentalism - The All is Mind; the Universe is Mental * correspondence - As above, so below; as below, so above * vibration - Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates * polarity - Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites * rhythm - Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall * cause and effect - Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause * gender - Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles ## invitation to be present * don't wait * welcome everything, push away nothing * bring your whole self to the experience * find a place of rest in the middle of things * cultivate don't-know mind ## spaciousness * an open calendar * being receptive to all things that's going on * what's in you * something * a way to be ## cultivate spaciousness * let go of linearity * let go of the need to be in control * let go of scarcity * let go of goal setting * live with the questions ## truth filters * consensus * consistency * authority * revelation * durability * science ## four noble truths * all of life is suffering * why we suffer is desire/preference/selfishness * we can end suffering * through the eightfold path ## eightfold path * right views - that Truth is the guide of each person * right thought - to be calm at all times and not to harm any living creature * right speech - never to lie, never to slander anyone, and never to use coarse or harsh language * right action - never to steal, never to kill, and never to do anything one may later regret or be ashamed of * right livelihood - never to choose an occupation that is considered bad * right effort - always to strive for that which is good and avoid that which is evil * right mindfulness - of the Noble Truths, in calmness and detachment * right meditation - will then follow and lead to the path of perfect peace ## mahayana * the greater vehicle of salvation * no person lives alone and individual salvation must therefore be involved with salvations of others * principle guide is the heart * the way is compassion ## hinayana * the lesser vehicle of salvation * each individual must seek and find one's own salvation * principle guide is the head * the way is wisdom ## 3 ideas * the two minds * 80/20 your life * the prime belief ## 4 skills * anchors * bets * classroom * discomfort ## resonance * share your heart, not your ego * pursue mastery, not the score * love your opponent * visualize presence, not perfection *** How can we learn self-knowledge? Never by taking thought but rather by action. Try to do your duty and you’ll soon discover what you’re like. But what is your duty? The demands of the day. One who is content to simply experience life and act accordingly has all the truth he needs. This is the wisdom of the growing child. Greatness is never achieved by trying to imitate the greatness of another. Greatness is achieved by chipping away at everything that does not belong to you and expressing yourself so authentically that everybody else is forced to acknowledge you. Childhood could be called the age of play and therefore some children are never young and some adults never old. Never give up play as this will speed up aging and lower quality of life. Health lies in action and to be busy is the secret of grace and half the secret of content. Let us ask God not for possessions but for things to do for happiness lies in making things rather than consuming them. If youth were wise they would put love above all else and not fall into the trap that so many do of trading it for money, fame or other external recognition. Making all else subordinate to it until the end. How can it matter what price we pay for love. Greed and wealth originally arose as a hedge against starvation but later became vices as abundance and social norms no longer made them necessary for survival. Invest in experiences – travel, skill acquisition, taking some courses rather than acquiring possessions. You’re never done – learning, earning, growing or giving. The best investment you can make is one in yourself and your lifestyle. Discover your calling by going back to your roots, your childhood, the primal inclinations which set you on fire – the things which you got very enthusiastic about and couldn’t stop thinking about. Things which are so fun or easy for you are good signs. Education is the perfection of life and there should be 3 tenets on which to base education and its goals: 1. The control of life through health, character, intelligence and technology 2. The enjoyment of life through friendship, literature, nature and art 3. The understanding of life through history, science, religion and philosophy --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://um.fz.ax/self/wisdoms.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. 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