Socrates' Wisdom
Posted by: "Bert Guiang" guiang_bert@yahoo.com guiang_bert
Thu Feb 15, 2007 11:01 am (PST)
Keep this philosophy in mind the next time you hear or
are about to repeat a rumor.

In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely
lauded for his wisdom.

One day the great philosopher came upon an
acquaintance, who ran up to him excitedly and said,
"Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of
your students...?"

"Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell
me, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called
the Test of Three."

"Test of Three?"

"That's correct," Socrates continued.
"Before you talk to me about my student let's take a
moment to test what you're going to say. The first
test is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what
you are about to tell me is true?"

"No," the man replied, "actually I just heard about
it."

"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know
if it's true or not. Now let's try the second test,
the test of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me
about my student something good?"

"No, on the contrary..."

"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me
something bad about him even though you're not certain
it's true?"

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed.

Socrates continued, "You may still pass though because
there is a third test - the filter of Usefulness.

Is what you want to tell me about my student going to
be useful to me?"

"No, not really..."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell
me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell
it to me at all?"

The man was defeated and ashamed and said no more.

This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher
and held in such high esteem.

It also explains why Socrates didn't find out that
Plato was banging his wife.

===


> Slow Down Culture
>
> SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT...
>
>
> An interesting reflection. : Slow Down Culture
>
> It's been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish
> company. Working for them has proven to be an
interesting experience. Any project here takes
> 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple
> and brilliant. It's a rule.
>
> Globalize processes have caused in us (all over the
> world) a general sense of searching for immediate
results. Therefore, we have come to posses a
> need to see immediate results. This contrasts
> greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish.
They, on the other hand, debate, debate,
> debate, hold x quantity of meetings and work with a
slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better
results.
>
> Said in another words:
> 1. Sweden is about the size of San Pablo, a state in
> Brazil.
> 2. Sweden has 2 million inhabitants.
> 3. Stockholm, has 500,000 people.
> 4. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, Nokia are
> some of its renowned companies. Volvo supplies the
NASA.
>
> The first time I was in Sweden, one of my colleagues
> picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was
September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive
> early at the company and he would park far away from
> the entrance (2000 employees drive their car to
work). The first day, I didn't say
> anything, either the second or third. One morning I
asked, "Do you have a fixed parking space? I've
noticed we park far from the entrance even when
> there are no other cars in the lot." To which he
replied, "Since we're here early we'll have time to
walk, and whoever gets in late will be late and need
> a place closer to the door. Don't you think? Imagine
> my face.
>
> Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe name Slow
Food. This movement establishes that people should eat
and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their
food, spend time with the family, friends, without
rushing. Slow Food is against its counterpart: the
spirit of Fast Food and what it stands for as a
lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger
movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business
Week.
>
> Basically, the movement questions the sense of
> "hurry" and "craziness" generated by globalization,
fueled by the desire of "having in quantity"
> (life status) versus "having with quality", "life
> quality" or the "quality of being". French people,
even though they work 35 hours per week, are more
> productive than Americans or British. Germans have
> established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their
productivity been driven up by 20%. This slow
> attitude has brought forth the US's attention,
> pupils of the fast and the "do it now!".
>
> This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less
> or having a lower productivity. It means working and
doing things with greater quality, productivity,
perfection, with attention to detail and less stress.
It means reestablishing family values, friends, free
> and leisure time. Taking the "now", present and
concrete, versus the "global", undefined and
> anonymous. It means taking humans' essential values,
> the simplicity of living.
>
> It stands for a less coercive work environment, more
> happy, lighter and more productive where humans
enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It's time
to stop and think on how companies need to develop
serious quality with no-rush that will increase
productivity and the quality of products and services,
without losing the essence of spirit.
>
> In the movie, Scent of a Woman, there's a scene
> where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance and she
replies, "I can't, my boyfriend will be here any
minute now". To which Al responds, "A life is lived in
an instant". Then they dance to a tango.
>
> Many of us live our lives running behind time, but
> we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in
a car accident rushing to be on time. Others
> are so anxious of living the future that they forget
> to live the present, which is the only time that
truly exists. We all have equal time throughout the
world. No one has more or less. The difference lies in
how each one of us does with our time. We need to live
each moment.
> As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you
while you're busy making other plans".
>
> Congratulations for reading till the end of this
> message. There are many who will have stopped in the
middle so as not to waste time in this
> globalized world.

====

"I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow
into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand.

Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the
highest mountain of all, and I will strain my potential
until it cries for mercy."

- Og Mandino (1923-1996)

===

"The game of life is the game of boomerangs.
Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later, with astounding accuracy."


--Florence Shinn - 1871-1940, Writer


===

FOCUS ON YOUR FUTURE NOT YOUR PAST

____________________________________

Your future is a big adventure.
Prepare for your future, don't live in the past.
Savor your good memories,
use any bad ones as lessons in life.



Carve out a niche for yourself in your imagined future.
Think, feel and see yourself as successful.
To achieve any goal in life, you need to project your end result.
Think of the elation, the satisfaction, the joy you'll feel.
Carry these ecstatic feelings with you every day
and they'll bring your desired goals into view.



Sooner or later, you can win if you think you can.
The cards you are dealt in life
are less important than the way you play them.
Every day you're offered a new deal and new cards.



Success is in your future if you're willing to work for it.



===



"Most of all, never give up on your dreams.
They are the ultimate guiding light, the essence of who you are and what you can accomplish with faith and perseverance."

===





"Positive thoughts have power to change your life when they're fueled by positive emotions

"Buried deep within each of us is a spark of greatness, a spark than can be fanned into flames of passion and achievement.

That spark is not outside of you it is born deep within you."

--- James A. Ray

"There isn't a ruler, a yard stick or a measuring tape in the entire world long enough to compute the Strength and capabilities inside you."

--- Paul Meyer

"An attitude of calm, confident expectation activates your creativity and unlocks your mental powers."

--- Brian Tracy

"Genius is there in all of us, just waiting for us to tap into it."

---Robert R. Toth


Say good words,
have good thoughts,
do good deeds, and
Help Make a World of Difference.


"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."
Walt Disney



Independence is a great gift. Use it to your best ability. If you use others to hold you up, you will never learn to live for yourself, and you will always need someone else to do everything for you



Last spring I was walking in a park. A short distance ahead of me was a mom and her three-year-old daughter. The little girl was holding on to a string that was attached to a helium balloon.



All of a sudden, a sharp gust of wind took the balloon from the little girl. I braced myself for some screaming and crying.



But, no! As the little girl turned to watch her balloon go skyward, she gleefully shouted out, "Wow!"



I didn't realize it at that moment, but that little girl taught me something.



Later that day, I received a phone call from a person with news of an unexpected problem.

I felt like responding with "Oh no, what should we do?"



But remembering that little girl, I found myself saying, "Wow, that's interesting! How can I help you?"



One thing's for sure - life's always going to keep us off balance with its unexpected problems. That's a given.



What's not preordained is our response. We can choose to be frustrated or fascinated.



No matter what the situation, a fascinated "Wow!" will always beat a frustrated "Oh, no."



So the next time you experience one of life's unexpected gusts, remember that little girl and make it a "Wow!" experience.



The "Wow!" response always works.




A real friend never gets in your way...

unless you happen to be on the way down.

--Dr. Wayne Dyer




"There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them."

--Vicki Baum




"There are short-cuts to happiness, and sex is one definitely of them."


Things should be as simple as possible, but not simpler.
Albert Einstein


Take a 10-30 minute walk every day.
And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.


Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
Buy a lock if you have to.


When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement:
My purpose is to___________ today.


Live with the 3 E's: Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.


Watch more movies, play more games, and read more books than you did in 2006.


Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, qigong, and prayer.
They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.


Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.


Dream more while you are awake.


Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less foods that are manufactured in plants.


Drink green tea and plenty of water and eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds, and walnuts.


Try to make at least 3 (or 30, or 300) people smile each day.


Clear the clutter from your house, your car, your desk, and let new and flowing energy into your life.


Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts, or things you cannot control. Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment.


Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.


Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.


Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.


Life isn't fair, but it's still good.


Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.


Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.


You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.


Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.


Don't compare your life to others'.
You have no idea what their journey is all about.




Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie.
Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special!


No one is in charge of your happiness except you.


Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"


Forgive everyone everything.


What other people think of you is none of your business.


Time heals almost everything. Give time time.


However good or bad a situation is, it will change.


Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.
Your friends will.
Stay in touch.


Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.


Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.


The best is yet to come.


No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.


Always Do The Right Thing. (ADTRT)


Call your mother and father often.


Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for __________.
Today I accomplished____________.


Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.


Enjoy the ride.
Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass.


"Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!"


"The next time you feel like God cannot use you, just remember:
Noah was a drunk;
Jacob was a liar;
Leah was ugly;
Abraham was too old;
Isaac was a daydreamer;
Joseph was abused;
Gideon was afraid;
Elijah was suicidal;
Jonah was an escapist;
Job was bankrupt;
Jeremiah was a crybaby;
the disciples fell asleep while praying;
Peter denied his Master; and...
Lazarus was dead!"


BE HONEST

Even if others are not
Even if others will not
Even if others cannot

"He who walks honestly walks securely."
Proverbs 10:9



Fun Thought...

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. Cna yuo raed tihs?
(Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can).

i c'dnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it.

Now I Know you're gonna forward this but...
ONLY FORWARD IT IF YOU CAN READ IT!!


==========

The Qualities of Skillful Leadership

by Jim Rohn



If you want to be a leader who attracts quality people, the key is to become a person of quality yourself. Leadership is the ability to attract someone to the gifts, skills, and opportunities you offer as an owner, as a manager, as a parent. I call leadership the great challenge of life.



What's important in leadership is refining your skills. All great leaders keep working on themselves until they become effective. Here are some specifics:



1) Learn to be strong but not rude. It is an extra step you must take to become a powerful, capable leader with a wide range of reach. Some people mistake rudeness for strength. It's not even a good substitute.



2) Learn to be kind but not weak. We must not mistake kindness for weakness. Kindness isn't weak. Kindness is a certain type of strength. We must be kind enough to tell somebody the truth. We must be kind enough and considerate enough to lay it on the line. We must be kind enough to tell it like it is and not deal in delusion.



3) Learn to be bold but not a bully. It takes boldness to win the day. To build your influence, you've got to walk in front of your group. You've got to be willing to take the first arrow, tackle the first problem, discover the first sign of trouble.



4) You've got to learn to be humble, but not timid. You can't get to the high life by being timid. Some people mistake timidity for humility. Humility is almost a God-like word. A sense of awe. A sense of wonder. An awareness of the human soul and spirit. An understanding that there is something unique about the human drama versus the rest of life. Humility is a grasp of the distance between us and the stars, yet having the feeling that we're part of the stars. So humility is a virtue; but timidity is a disease. Timidity is an affliction. It can be cured, but it is a problem.



5) Be proud but not arrogant. It takes pride to win the day. It takes pride to build your ambition. It takes pride in community. It takes pride in cause, in accomplishment. But the key to becoming a good leader is being proud without being arrogant. In fact I believe the worst kind of arrogance is arrogance from ignorance. It's when you don't know that you don't know. Now that kind of arrogance is intolerable. If someone is smart and arrogant, we can tolerate that. But if someone is ignorant and arrogant, that's just too much to take.



6) Develop humor without folly. That's important for a leader. In leadership, we learn that it's okay to be witty, but not silly. It's okay to be fun, but not foolish.

Lastly, deal in realities. Deal in truth. Save yourself the agony. Just accept life like it is. Life is unique. Some people call it tragic, but I'd like to think it's unique. The whole drama of life is unique. It's fascinating. And I've found that the skills that work well for one leader may not work at all for another. But the fundamental skills of leadership can be adapted to work well for just about everyone: at work, in the community, and at home.



===


WHO PACKED YOUR PARACHUTE?









Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important.



We may fail to say hello, please, thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason.



Charles Plumb, a US Naval Academy graduate, was a jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile.



Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands.



He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist prison.



He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.



One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"



"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb.



"I packed your parachute," the man replied.



Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude.



The man grabbed his hand and said, "I guess it worked!"



Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."



Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man.



Plumb kept wondering what the man might have looked like in a Navy uniform. He wondered how many times he might have seen him and not even said good morning, how are you or anything, because you see, he was a fighter pilot and the man was just a sailor.



Plumb thought of the many hours that sailor had spent in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he did not know.



Now Plumb asks his audience, "Who is packing your parachute?"



Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day.



Plumb also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down.



As you go through your week, month, and even New Year, recognize the people who have packed your parachute and enabled you to get where you are today!

--- Author Unknown



--

"Do to others (first) as you would like them to do to you"