So many lines we’ve never heard, but when have we truly opened our ears?

Calister’s Random Afternote

It’s not enough to just to open our ears, but we also have to act. For example, if a country is thinking of attacking another country (for some random, usually unfathomable reason) then everyone needs to listen to everyone’s ideas on how to inflict as much damage as possible on an innocent country that was minding their own buisness. But even if they come up with this great combat plan, it’s useless if they just stand around not doing anything. (Well, they’d save a lot of lives)

Don’t give up, if you have never tried.

Rika’s Thoughts:

This is a good quote, but not always true. You can give up if the goal your headed for might have more risks then positives, and giving up actually might be a better idea. For example, if the plant on top of the refrigerator needs watering desperately but you can’t reach it, what do you do? Go all Tarzan and climb on top of the counters to get to the plant? Or give up for fear of a broken or sprained bone? Giving up can sometimes be good for your help.

What happened in the past will only affect you as much as you let it.

Calister Again:

Mistakes are good. You can learn from them. But sometimes we get these people who can’t seem to get over the mistakes. They stare them down as if the mistake is a car in the rear view mirror who is trailing them. Or a foreboding homework assignment. One or the other. But the point is that if you let the constant thinking of ‘oh I shouldn’t have done that’ continue, it won’t help. Learn from your mistakes and get over them.

You cannot wish for something you never wanted.

Rika’s Thoughts:

Wishes are born out of goals; often times goals that are difficult or impossible. You can’t wish for something you don’t want, but you can’t wish for something so easily acquired: then the wish is just a mere thought and nothing more. The goal must be difficult or lengthy. Wishes have specific, unwritten definitions. Usually, wishes are naive hopes that something will happen to make the whole goal easier, the wish very unrealistic. Sometimes the wish is realistic, but unprobable. The whole point of wishing is restoring hope, whether that hope is realistic or not.

The pen is mightier than the sword, but the mind is sharper than the pen.

Calister’s Thoughts:

Honestly, Socrates, I’m not into philosophy, but this is my favorite quote of all time. Sure, written words can hurt, but pure mind power beats all. If this was a game of rock-paper-scissors, knowledge could beat all of the above. And, technically, a sword would kill paper every time. Words verses wars? Words can’t win wars, and words can’t jump start a depressed economy, and even though words can help, they can’t do as much devastation as swords, and are certainly lacking against nuclear weapons.

Turn what you fear into something you can conquer and conquer it, what we conquer is nothing to fear.

Rika’s Thoughts:

Like Roosevelt’s famous quote “We have nothing to fear except fear itself” this quote is basically on the road to not having anything to fear. By making up our minds to not fear something, we can overcome it and enjoy life without that fear. That particular fear will always be present, but by not acknowledging it, we can live our lives more happily.  That is what we strive for, correct? Happiness? And if fear is our enemy, why wouldn’t we want to conquer it?

Now this also applies to extreme phobias; even though those are often times more extreme, they still can be conquered, and without willpower they will not be conquered. Everything begins with will.

“It may do us best to not know and be happy, but knowing will, inevitably, make us stronger for the future.”

Rika’s Thoughts:

This is very true. For example, if one country knew that another country was planning war against the other, it would make them stronger for the war ahead. Or, perhaps, in the best case, the war could be prevented. I think that the more people that are in the know, the more wars could be prevented. But, on the other hand, some information is best kept away from the general public to prevent mass pandemonium. If an asteroid is to hit Earth in 2012 and the scientific community is sure of this, the question is “Is it ethical to keep this information away from the general populous to prevent pandemonium?” Because then knowing that fact would make us stronger for what future? The last moments on Earth? But then if we weren’t told, we would be happier. Or would we? It’s so hard to choose an ethical decision in any topic. Illegal immigration is another tough discussion, and every side seems unethical. Same goes towards choosing between saving the world and keeping our economy up and running.

Like I said, this is a good quote, but sometimes not knowing not only makes you happier, but makes you stronger. Stronger as in a clearer mind.