by Philip Yaffe

Part 9 of an occasional series

I am a collector of quotations. I have been ever since I learned how to write, I mean professionally, not in primary school.

I am particularly fond of what I like to call “pithy prose”. These short quotations can cover an unlimited variety of subjects: love, religion, politics, human nature, etc. What unites them is their ability to say more in one or two sentences than could be expressed in a thousand-word treatise. It’s like being able to pour a liter of liquid into a half-liter bottle.

They are superb examples of Mark Twain’s famous dictum, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

In principle, all writers and public speakers are capable of producing pithy prose, but clearly some are better at it than others.

Any collection of pithy prose must necessarily be biased in terms of what it includes and excludes. I make no apologies for my selections, only for the hundreds of other meritorious quotations I had to leave out.

No one will agree with all these quotations; this was not their intention. You may even find some of them repugnant or outrageous. This was their intention.

We seldom learn anything of value from what we already agree with. Only those ideas that grate on our nerves can open our minds. As with oysters, irritation can produce pearls. So if anything you are about to read annoys or shocks you, try to think clearly and dispassionately about what it is saying. You will either be confirmed in your current belief or shaken into re-examining it.

Either way, you win!

This article is part of an occasional series. In each article, I will be offering more amusing, educating, and exasperating quotations to your judgment. But just to be certain that we agree on what we are talking about, here it is in a nutshell.

Pithy Prose: A quotation where at first you may not be quite certain what it means. But when you become certain, you become equally certain that it couldn’t have been said better any other way. In short, big ideas in small packages.

If you have a better definition of pithy prose, please contact me. I would love to hear it.

Who Is Johann Goethe?

Johann Goethe (1749 - 1812), whose full name was Johann Wolfgang van Goethe, was a German poet, novelist, playwright, and natural philosopher. He gained early fame with his novel “The Sorrows of Young Werther”, but his most famous work is the poetic drama “Faust”. As a natural philosopher, Goethe made important discoveries about plant and animal life. His unorthodox, non-Newtonian theory of light and color strongly influenced a number of later abstract painters.

1. A clever man commits no minor blunders.

2. A noble person attracts noble people, and knows how to hold on to them.

3. A person hears only what he understands.

4. A person places himself on a level with the ones he praises.

5. A useless life is an early death.

6. Age merely shows what children we remain.

7. All intelligent thoughts have already been thought; what is necessary is only to try to think them again.

8. All the knowledge I possess everyone else can acquire, but my heart is all my own.

9. As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.

10. Be generous with kindly words, especially about those who are absent.

11. Beauty is a manifestation of secret natural laws, which otherwise would have been hidden from us forever.

12. Certain defects are necessary for the existence of individuality.

13. Character develops itself in the stream of life.

14. Common sense is the genius of humanity.

15. Correction does much, but encouragement does more.

16. Deeply earnest and thoughtful people stand on shaky footing with the public.

17. Destiny grants us our wishes, but in its own way, in order to give us something beyond our wishes.

18. Do not give in too much to feelings. An overly sensitive heart is an unhappy possession on this shaky earth.

19. Dream no small dreams, for they have no power to move the hearts of men.

20. Error is acceptable as long as we are young; but one must not drag it along into old age.

21. Every author in some way portrays himself in his works, even if it be against his will.

22. Every day we should hear at least one little song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture, and, if possible, speak a few sensible words.

23. Everybody wants to be somebody; nobody wants to grow.

24. Everything in the world may be endured except continual prosperity.

25. Few people have the imagination for reality.

26. For a man to achieve all that is demanded of him, he must regard himself as greater than he is.

27. Hatred is active, and envy passive dislike; there is but one step from envy to hate.


28. He who does not think much of himself is much more esteemed than he imagines.

29. He who possesses art and science has religion; he who does not possess them, needs religion.

30. I do not know myself, and God forbid that I should.

31. I will listen to anyone’s convictions, but pray keep your doubts to yourself.

32. If you start to think of your physical and moral condition, you usually find that you are sick.

33. Ignorant men raise questions that wise men answered a thousand years ago.

34. In the realm of ideas everything depends on enthusiasm… in the real world all rests on perseverance.

35. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.

36. Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes.

37. Life is the childhood of our immortality.

38. Love can do much, but duty more.

39. Love does not dominate; it cultivates.

40. Men show their character in nothing more clearly than what they think laughable.

41. Nature knows no pause in progress and development, and attaches her curse on all inaction.

42. No one would talk much in society if they knew how often they misunderstood others.

43. None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.

44. Nothing is more fearful than imagination without taste.

45. Nothing is more terrible than to see ignorance in action.

46. Self-knowledge comes from knowing other men.

47. Superstition is the poetry of life.

48. Talent develops in quiet places, character in the full current of human life.

49. The best government is that which teaches us to govern ourselves.

50. The coward only threatens when he is safe.

51. The hardest thing to see is what is in front of your eyes.

52. The little man is still a man.

53. The man with insight enough to admit his limitations comes nearest to perfection.

54. There is nothing so terrible as activity without insight.

55. To rule is easy, to govern difficult.

56. We are never further from what we wish than when we believe that we have what we wished for.

57. We know accurately only when we know little, with knowledge doubt increases.

58. What by a straight path cannot be reached by crooked ways is never won.

59. What is not started today is never finished tomorrow.


60. Whatever you cannot understand, you cannot possess.

61. When ideas fail, words come in very handy.

62. Whoever wishes to keep a secret must hide the fact that he possesses one.

63. Wisdom is found only in truth.

Previously in this Series

Part 1: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Mark Twain

Part 2: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Oscar Wilde

Part 3: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of People Named “W”

Part 4: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Anatole France

Part 5: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Ambrose Bierce

Part 6: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Friedrich Nietzsche

Part 7: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of People Name “H”

Part 8: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Anon

Philip Yaffe is a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal and a marketing communication consultant. He currently teaches a course in good writing and good speaking in Brussels, Belgium. His recently published book In the “I” of the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) like a Professional is available from Story Publishers in Ghent, Belgium (storypublishers.be) and Amazon (amazon.com).

For further information, contact:

Philip Yaffe
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 660 0405
phil.yaffe@yahoo.com, phil.yaffe@gmail.com

Part 6 of an occasional series

I am a collector of quotations. I have been ever since I learned how to write, I mean professionally, not in primary school.

I am particularly fond of what I like to call “pithy prose”. These short quotations can cover an unlimited variety of subjects: love, religion, politics, human nature, etc. What unites them is their ability to say more in one or two sentences than could be expressed in a thousand-word treatise. It’s like being able to pour a liter of liquid into a half-liter bottle.

They are superb examples of Mark Twain’s famous dictum, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

In principle, all writers and public speakers are capable of producing pithy prose, but clearly some are better at it than others.

Any collection of pithy prose must necessarily be biased in terms of what it includes and excludes. I make no apologies for my selections, only for the hundreds of other meritorious quotations I had to leave out.

No one will agree with all these quotations; this was not their intention. You may even find some of them repugnant or outrageous. This was their intention.

We seldom learn anything of value from what we already agree with. Only those ideas that grate on our nerves can open our minds. As with oysters, irritation can produce pearls. So if anything you are about to read annoys or shocks you, try to think clearly and dispassionately about what it is saying. You will either be confirmed in your current belief or shaken into re-examining it.

Either way, you win!

This article is part of an occasional series. In each article, I will be offering more amusing, educating, and exasperating quotations to your judgment. But just to be certain that we agree on what we are talking about, here it is in a nutshell.

Pithy Prose: A quotation where at first you may not be quite certain what it means. But when you become certain, you become equally certain that it couldn’t have been said better any other way. In short, big ideas in small packages.

If you have a better definition of pithy prose, please contact me. I would love to hear it.

Who Is Friedrich Nietzsche?

Friedrich Nietzsche (1944 - 1900) was a German philosopher who challenged the foundations of Christianity and traditional morality. Central to his philosophy is questioning all ideas and dogmas that are not “life-affirming”, however much they may be part of the social fabric. His writings are believed to have strongly influenced Adolph Hitler.

1. A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.

2. Admiration for a quality or an art can be so strong that it deters us from striving to possess it.

3. All things are subject to interpretation. Whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth.

4. Anyone who has declared someone else to be an idiot or a bad apple is annoyed when it turns out in the end that he isn’t.

5. At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not cease to be insipid.

6. Convictions are more dangerous foes of truth than lies.

7. Extreme positions are not succeeded by moderate ones, but by contrary extreme positions.

8. Fanatics are picturesque; mankind would rather see gestures than listen to reasons.

9. Fear is the mother of morality.

10. He that humbleth himself wishes to be exalted.

11. In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play.

12. In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.

12. It is impossible to suffer without making someone pay for it; every complaint already contains revenge.

13. It is not when truth is dirty, but when it is shallow, that the lover of knowledge is reluctant to step into its waters.

14. Let us beware of saying that death is the opposite of life. The living being is only a species of the dead, and a very rare species.

15. Love is blind; friendship closes its eyes.

16. Many a man fails as an original thinker simply because his memory it too good.

17. Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal.

18. Morality is the herd-instinct in the individual.

19. Mystical explanations are thought to be deep; the truth is that they are not even shallow.

20. No one lies so boldly as the man who is indignant.

21. Nothing has been purchased more dearly than the little bit of reason and sense of freedom which now constitutes our pride.

22. On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow.

23. Once spirit was God, then it became man, and now it is even becoming mob.

24. One has to pay dearly for immortality; one has to die several times while one is still alive.

25. One often contradicts an opinion when what is uncongenial is really the tone in which it was conveyed.

26. Rejoicing in our joy, not suffering over our suffering, makes someone a friend.

29. Some are made modest by great praise, others insolent.

30. Success has always been a great liar.

31. Talking much about oneself can also be a means to conceal oneself.

32. That which does not kill us makes us stronger.

33. The “kingdom of Heaven” is a condition of the heart - not something that comes “upon the earth” or “after death.”

34. The best author will be the one who is ashamed to become a writer.

35. The best weapon against an enemy is another enemy.

36. The demand to be loved is the greatest of all arrogant presumptions.

37. The doer alone learneth.

38. The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.

39. The future influences the present just as much as the past.

40. The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends.

41. The most common lie is that which one lies to himself; lying to others is relatively an exception.

42. The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.

43. There is in general good reason to suppose that in several respects the gods could all benefit from instruction by us human beings. We humans are - more humane.

44. There is not enough love and goodness in the world to permit giving any of it away to imaginary beings.

45. This is the hardest of all: to close the open hand out of love, and keep modest as a giver.

46. Those who cannot understand how to put their thoughts on ice should not enter into the heat of debate.

47. To forget one’s purpose is the commonest form of stupidity.

48. We do not hate as long as we still attach a lesser value, but only when we attach an equal or a greater value.

49. We hear only those questions for which we are in a position to find answers.

50. We love life, not because we are used to living but because we are used to loving.

51. Whatever is done for love always occurs beyond good and evil.

52. When a hundred men stand together, each of them loses his mind and gets another one.

53. Without music, life would be a mistake.

54. Words are but symbols for the relations of things to one another and to us; nowhere do they touch upon absolute truth.

55. You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.

Previously in this Series

Part 1: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Mark Twain

Part 2: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Oscar Wilde

Part 3: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of People Named “W”

Part 4: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Anatole France

Part 5: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Ambrose Bierce

Philip Yaffe is a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal and a marketing communication consultant. He currently teaches a course in good writing and good speaking in Brussels, Belgium. His recently published book In the “I” of the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) like a Professional is available from Story Publishers in Ghent, Belgium (storypublishers.be) and Amazon (amazon.com).

For further information, contact:

Philip Yaffe
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 660 0405
phil.yaffe@yahoo.com, phil.yaffe@gmail.com

Learning in a vacuum is not learning. It is a series of mistakes, errors in
judgment and a roller-coaster of low lows and high highs. Trying to cope
without the fresh breeze of another’s ideas is not the way to success in any
business. Particularly in one that is, after all, world wide! To believe that,
without any experience and all alone, one can simply become instantly wealthy,
is a terrible misconception.

The truth is that we need leadership. We need mentors with sterling
reputations who will guide us with patience, compassion and excitement. It is
a necessity to not feel alone, sealed off in front of a machine while
trudging through this mystical maze of “opportunities.”

Like many of you, I am weary of the term “mentor” as used online. Everyone it
seems is an expert. Everyone has an immediate solution to your problem. It is
not about those countless “coaches” that I write.

Thankfully (for students like myself) there are real mentors out there. They
have created their own successes, built their own companies and usually have
a sense of the greater good. These actual professionals, with their real
lives and issues, are tremendously important to the learning that must be
done to succeed. Most importantly, they give us inspiration.

None of the real mentors ask us to sit quietly and do nothing. They do not
ask - they demand. They demand that we see in ourselves the ability to be
more than we are. They encourage our evolution; through hard work and
persistence.

Real leaders do not sell pipe dreams. They most especially do not allow nor
encourage just anyone to join them in the journey. Actual mentors want actual
students. The demand dedication to a cause, foresight in visualizing our
goals and the toughness to get tasks done to accomplish the success they have
modeled. They are selfless in sharing their successes. Even more astounding
to me, they are uninhibited in sharing their failures and flaws. Now that, is
a leader!

You may be wondering how to find such people. It isn’t easy to weed out the
pretenders from the real, I know. I cannot say that I miraculously zoned in
on them. Like everything else in this business, it took a lot of slow,
grinding work. Trust me when I tell you, once found, you’ll recognize them
right away. If the “mentor” you stumble upon does not offer some kind of
guaranty, then likely your search should continue.

If I were to apply any one suggestion to the weeding prospects, I think it
would be that. Mentors worth your time will guaranty your success. In some
way or other you will find them offering a successful completion of your
learning with no risk. You will get from A to B in a certain time-frame
directly because of their support and training systems (urgently important).
Along the way, you will have live support, actual contact with trainers and
answers to your questions no matter how inane they may seem.

In summation, these actual people will be accessible; will have so much
confidence in their own success as to guaranty yours; will provide all the
tools you need; will offer all of this or a return on your investment (large
or small) if you do not get there from here.

Please keep in mind at all times, they are obligated to do all of this if you
do the work. That is your commitment - success is their’s.

Margaret Mackenzie

http://www.creativebalance-5522.blogspot.com

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