What mysteries get solved by living a long time?

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
chuck h
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Post by chuck h »

My favorite quote is from Mickey Mantle who said, "If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself".
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VictoriaF
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Post by VictoriaF »

zaga21 wrote:Moderation in everything...

including moderation.
Does that include Forum moderation?

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
magicmom
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Post by magicmom »

My two faves have already been posted.
Life isn't fair...
and
"you can't always get what you want"...I would sing this to my kids all the time LOL
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Babakhani
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Post by Babakhani »

Great Topic.

I have 2 that I always use:

1) Where there is a will, there is a way. -- don't know
2)Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

the second one reminds me that no matter how bad a situation I am in, it could be worse.
Valuethinker
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Post by Valuethinker »

Babakhani wrote:Great Topic.

I have 2 that I always use:

1) Where there is a will, there is a way. -- don't know
2)Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

the second one reminds me that no matter how bad a situation I am in, it could be worse.
The second is of course ironic-- you are not more valuable than they are on any universal standard-- consider that they eat mosquitos. In fact, you are probably incredibly destructive (assuming you are the average citizen of a western society). Their numbers and consumption are completely self regulating. Yours are not (at least in a generational timeframe- -we could argue the toss whether civilization is self limiting, by definition, all previous ones have been, there is only one global one now, ours, and we don't know what its lifespan will be-- if modern civilization began around 1415 in Italy then we have not yet outlived the Romans).

Yes the situation could be worse. We could be at Auschwitz. But that one never consoles me.

'and this too, shall pass' is probably closer to it. This life is but a flicker in the life of the universe.
Ozymandias

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read,
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed,
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Percy Bysshe Shelley
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dratkinson
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Post by dratkinson »

"Never esteem anything as of advantage to thee that shall make thee break thy word or lose thy self-respect." Marcus Aurelius Antoninius
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Lbill
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Post by Lbill »

Here you go. There ought to be enough tidbits of wisdom here to make everybody happy:

Good quotations from famous people.
"Life can only be understood backward; but it must be lived forward." ~ Søren Kierkegaard | | "You can't connect the dots looking forward; but only by looking backwards." ~ Steve Jobs
exoilman
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Post by exoilman »

Where there is a will there is relatives. :lol
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wshang
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Post by wshang »

What one lacks in knowledge usually needs to be made up in dollars.
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VictoriaF
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Post by VictoriaF »

Lbill wrote:Here you go. There ought to be enough tidbits of wisdom here to make everybody happy:

Good quotations from famous people.
These are good. Thanks,

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
johnjtaylorus
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Post by johnjtaylorus »

Scrawled at LZ Sally: "You can't get any older than dead."
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Babakhani
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Post by Babakhani »

Valuethinker wrote: The second is of course ironic-- you are not more valuable than they are on any universal standard-- consider that they eat mosquitos. In fact, you are probably incredibly destructive (assuming you are the average citizen of a western society). Their numbers and consumption are completely self regulating. Yours are not (at least in a generational timeframe- -we could argue the toss whether civilization is self limiting, by definition, all previous ones have been, there is only one global one now, ours, and we don't know what its lifespan will be-- if modern civilization began around 1415 in Italy then we have not yet outlived the Romans).
I think you are missing the point. If you believe in a benevolent higher being, then every living creature is accounted for. You don't have to worry about life's minutia. 8)
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Babakhani
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Post by Babakhani »

Lbill wrote:Here you go. There ought to be enough tidbits of wisdom here to make everybody happy:

Good quotations from famous people.
They are good, but the problem is that most people dont remember all of these. I think the point of this topic is to know what quote endears to you.
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mephistophles
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Post by mephistophles »

A greater chance to experience the numinous.
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VictoriaF
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Post by VictoriaF »

Be nice to people on your way up because you meet them on your way down.

This woman could have used this truism:
http://views.washingtonpost.com/leaders ... -graf.html
http://admiraltymaritimelaw.blogspot.co ... holly.html

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
Analystic
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Post by Analystic »

This, too, shall go down in flames.
Disclaimer: I am making all of this up.
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gatorking
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Post by gatorking »

tinlizzy
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Post by tinlizzy »

Slow and steady wins the race.
MWCA
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Post by MWCA »

Oh shucks I had something long and winded written out.


Ah well how about " Dont eat yellow snow"

That is some words of wisdom... :)
We are all worms. But I believe that I am a glow-worm.
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boglesmymind
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Post by boglesmymind »

"As we aquire more knowledge, things do not become more comprehensible, but more mysterious." -Albert Schweitzer

" There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." -Wiliam Shakespeare

" Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes I
think we're not. In either case the idea is quite staggering."
-Arthur C. Clarke, author of 2001; A Space Odyssey

" All major religious traditions carry basically the same message,
that is love, compassion and forgiveness... the important thing
is they should be part of our daily lives." -The Dali Lama
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Random Musings
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Post by Random Musings »

A thermos bottle keeps cold drinks cold in the summer and hot drinks hot in the winter?

How do it know?

RM
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theac
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Post by theac »

wow, hard to pick a favorite, but being a financial site, this one comes to mind:

When wealth is lost, nothing is lost.

When health is lost, something is lost.

When character is lost, all is lost.
"We keep you alive to serve this ship. Row well...and live." Ben Hur...and The Taxman! hahaha (a George Harrison song)
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theac
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Post by theac »

Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.


Shakespeare



I never give them hell. I just tell the truth, and they think it's hell.

Harry S. Truman
"We keep you alive to serve this ship. Row well...and live." Ben Hur...and The Taxman! hahaha (a George Harrison song)
SamTHorn
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interesting thread

Post by SamTHorn »

There's a lot of great input here. Thanks for your thought.

~ Sam
Lake Living
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Post by Lake Living »

I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer.

~Jim Carrey
jeffarvon
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Post by jeffarvon »

Mine is in my signature line. Yup, it's in the movie.
"Enough is as good as a feast" - Mary Poppins
Sconie
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Post by Sconie »

"Such a vast universe, yet such limited tenure." (Heather Jarman, StarTrek authoress)
hudson
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Post by hudson »

johnjtaylorus: "Scrawled at LZ Sally: "You can't get any older than dead."

It looks like LZ Sally was a large defensive perimeter...for a battalion or brigade in 1968-9 in Vietnam...A Shau Valley.

http://chancefac.net/FAC_OLs/Pics/lz_sally_1968.htm

I read by Google that the enemy was very good and that individuals and leaders had to change their ways in order to prevail.
Last edited by hudson on Sat Mar 13, 2010 7:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
brainstem
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Post by brainstem »

You can have only so much faith in the power of a rational argument

The secret of work happiness: understand what you truly enjoy doing, then find someone to pay you to do it

If you do not know what you should be doing, someone else will decide for you.
david99
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Post by david99 »

As you get older you learn "not to sweat the small stuff" and even more important you can tell what is small stuff and what is big stuff. Big stuff is your health, loved ones, finances. Small is stuff is someone who is rude to you at the check out counter, or doesn't return a phone call.
djw
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Post by djw »

From my mother, source unknown:

"Love many, trust few, and always paddle your own canoe"

I've never googled this quotation before, so I just did and came up with an interesting entry at wiki.answers.com:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_o ... _own_canoe

What is the origin of love many trust few and always paddle your own canoe?

This saying is misquoted, try: Know many, trust few, learn to paddle your own canoe.

(taken from http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/padd ... canoe.html )

It comes from 2 poems dated 1850's as follows:

1. Paddle your own Canoe - anonymous,
printed in the Wisconsin newspaper The Crawford County Courier, 1852:

My father die, God rest his soul,
When years I numbered two,
And left me 'midst this world alone,
To paddle my own canoe. A step-grand-daddy, now no more,
Taught me my P's and Q.
And ever in my ears he dinned,
You'll paddle your own canoe. My home was no Elysian spot
Of bright and sunny hue,
And therefore I the sooner left,
To paddle my own canoe. And through the world I roamed at large,
O'er land and ocean blue;
And though the struggle oft was hard,
I paddled my own canoe. For thus I argued, man to man,
Is often,times untrue;
Then while with health and strength you're blest
Just paddle your own canoe. As partners in the strife for gain,
Self-interest will pursue;
And leave you with your debts, perhaps,
To paddle your own canoe. And then no sympathy you'll find
From friends who once were true;
They knew you lost when first you ceased
To paddle your own canoe. But I one cherished object sought
And ever kept in view;
A friend of pure unsullied heart,
'To paddle my own canoe. A friend she is in word and deed-
Her interest mine is too;
The twain are one - I still may say,
I paddle my own canoe.

2. Paddle Your Own Canoe - Sarah Bolton, 1851

Voyager upon life's sea,
To yourself be true,
And whatever your lot may be,
Paddle your own canoe.
Never, though the winds may rave,
Falter or look back;
But upon the darkest wave
Leave a shining track.
Paddle your own canoe. Nobly dare the wildest storm,
Stem the hardest gale,
Brave of heart and strong of arm
You will never fail.
When the world is cold and dark,
Keep your aim in view;
And toward the beacon work,
Paddle your own canoe. ... ..Would you crush the giant wrong,
In the world's free fight?
With a spirit brave and strong,
Battle for the right.
And to break the chains that bind
The many to the few
To enfranchise slavish mind,-
Paddle your own canoe. Nothing great is lightly won,
Nothing won is lost,
Every good deed, nobly done,
Will repay the cost.
Leave to Heaven, in humble trust,
All you will to do:
But if succeed, you must
Paddle your own canoe.

Meaning: Act independently and decide your own fate.

Origin: The figurative meaning of 'padding one's own canoe' began to be used in the early 19th century. This was what was in mind of the author of The Selangor Journal: Jottings Past and Present, 1807, when reporting the lack of community spirit amongst the coffee planters in Malaysia:

If the planters would unite and use their united influence they could start a bank to advance money to deserving young planters... but they won't do it. They let each poor fellow paddle his own canoe, and if he capsizes and stretches out his hand in despair for someone to save him... they won't do it.

------------------------------------

I think I embody this sentiment.
Once I considered enlisting in the US Army, went through all of the testing and physical exam, and came to the point when all I needed to do was choose a specialty and sign on the dotted line. I ended up walking away.

When I told a wise friend about this, his immediate reaction was that it was a good thing I didn't go through with it because I'd have been sent to the stockade (military jail) within two weeks for insubordination.

On reflection, I knew he was exactly right.

Thoreau wrote, in "Civil Disobedience" I believe, that the military expected men to be automatons that follow orders without hesitating or asking questions. "Why does every man have a conscience, then?" he queried. He pondered that perhaps mechanical soldiers could be constructed that would serve this purpose, and in some ways he's been proven prescient.

I'm not exactly a trouble maker, but I am the person who wants his supervisor to tell him not just what to do, but to explain WHY we do it that way and then finds himself analyzing what he's been told and contemplating possible alternatives and ethical consequences for days if not weeks afterwards.

I think it would be fair to say that I've chosen to leave several jobs because ultimately I wasn't comfortable with what I was expected to do to earn a living there. Fortunately, my employers didn't have the option of sending me to the stockade...
joelly
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Post by joelly »

"Life lived forward, understood backwards"
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mlebuf
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Post by mlebuf »

Where there's a will, I want to be in it. :D
Best wishes, | Michael | | Invest your time actively and your money passively.
at ease
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Post by at ease »

..."Regrets" of the past...and "fears" of the what may happen in the future, will steal your today....
chicagobear
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Post by chicagobear »

"If you have a problem that money can solve, you don't really have a problem, even if you don't have the money."
Bill McClellan, St. Louis Post Dispatch columnist

and more cynically,

"Women invented sex so men would have to keep them around."
-Anon
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VictoriaF
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Post by VictoriaF »

chicagobear wrote:and more cynically,

"Women invented sex so men would have to keep them around."
-Anon
All you have to do is to invent an antivenom. ;)

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
Ron
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Post by Ron »

At the ripe old age of 62, I'm still trying to find what causes lint in my bellybutton :lol: ...

- Ron
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Yuba
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Post by Yuba »

Ron wrote:At the ripe old age of 62, I'm still trying to find what causes lint in my bellybutton :lol: ...

- Ron
I actually saw an article on that specific subject recently. I can't find the link now, but the study attributed it to the pattern of the hair around the belly button.

Rick dba Yuba
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VictoriaF
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Post by VictoriaF »

Ron wrote:At the ripe old age of 62, I'm still trying to find what causes lint in my bellybutton :lol: ...

- Ron
May be it has medicinal properties like mold that became penicillin?

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
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