Wise Sayings

[ninjacatman]

Hi all, I thought it would be fun to start a thread where we all put down
wise sayings that we heard or made up; I'll start.

Humility is the path of greatness.

(maybe by me, I'm not really sure if I made this up or heard it somewhere)

(oh... please say who wrote/said it if you know)

 

[Crystallize]

Ok, these doesn't have to specifically Japanese, right ?

"Any fool can tell the truth because it's only what he knows ... a wise man knows which truths to share"

 

[ninjacatman]

Yeah, none Japanese is fine, but Japanese has some cool ones,
here's a Chinese one: Before you set out on revenge, first dig two graves.

 

[ninjacatman]

Yeah, the wise come from every tongue tribe and nation. Feel free to use saying from anywhere! Here's one from Japan:

He who praises me is my friend, he who corrects me is my teacher, but he who flatters me, is my enemy.

 

[nanook]

There is no such thing as free cheese, except in a mouse trap.

 

[Tsuyoiko]

Read my sig, I always have one in there

 

[nice gaijin]

If you're perfect, you're alone.

 

[Anohito]

First, a Japanese saying:

Waga kuso kusaku nai.

Second, an anonymous one I saw recently:

Ambition without brains is lethal.

 

[Mike Cash]

Yeah, none Japanese is fine, but Japanese has some cool ones,
here's a Chinese one: Before you set out on revenge, first dig two graves.

Shouldn't you first check to make sure none of these are Buddhist or Confucian in origin before quoting them?

 

[Half-n-Half]

"A witty saying proves nothing."
-Voltaire

 

[Crystallize]

... Before you set out on revenge, first dig two graves.

Yes, it's true, but in some cases it's still might be worth it *lol*

Ambition without brains is lethal.

Hm but you can also reverse it,
Brains without any ambition is ... a pity !

 

[ninjacatman]

Shouldn't you first check to make sure none of these are Buddhist or Confucian in origin before quoting them?

Wise sayings are wise sayings, as long as they aren't praising some other
god, I have nothing against quoting them. many buddist saying and so
called proverbs were actually taken from the Old Testament (which is
far older then buddism)


Besides, the one I gave is simply saying that if you set out for revenge,
you may as well assume you aren't going to come back from it!

 

[ninjacatman]

OH yeah, I should probably give a 'wise saying' since I posted.

"He who seeks wisdom is a wise man; he who thinks he has found it is mad." - Seneca

 

[Mike Cash]

many buddist saying and so
called proverbs were actually taken from the Old Testament

That's very interesting. Could you provide us with several examples, please?

 

[Anohito]

The future is uncertain, but the end is always clear.

 

[Pachipro]

"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt." - Voltaire

"Many are destined to reason wrongly, others, not to reason at all; and others, to persecute those who do reason." - Voltair

 

[Zentron]

Second, an anonymous one I saw recently:

Ambition without brains is lethal.

Hmmm, sums up George Bush Jr quite nicely mesays!!

Here's one from the great Michelangelo:

"Never pay full price for late pizza!!"

 

[ninjacatman]

"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt." - Voltaire

That is one of my very favorites!
Better to die a hero then to live as a coward.
Stephan Ginther (me)

 

[ninjacatman]

I suppose the last one was a little vulgar, but that's how I feel.

 

[Anohito]

First, a saying whose origin is in doubt. The wording I quote was used by Mark Twain (American writer), who said he was quoting Benjamin Disraeli (19th century British Prime Minister). However, from what I have read, there is no definite source for the quote in Disraeli's writings.

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.

Second, there is something that I found attributed to the 18th century English writer Samuel Johnson:

Nothing so concentrates a man's mind as the prospect of his own destruction.

This is sometimes given in other forms, for example:

Nothing more wonderfully concentrates a man's mind than the sure knowledge that he is to be hanged in the morning.

Unfortunately, I could not find a source for any of the versions.

 

[ninjacatman]

I love the first one!

Confucius when on his death bed. His students where discussing his burial, and Confucius said,"Just throw my body on the ground outside and let it return to the ground."
His students, being animists believed that if a person didn't receive a proper burial,
they would turn into a cursed ghost. So they where freaking out and said,' No master
if we did that, the crows and the ants would eat on your body!' and Confucius turned
to them and said,"Why take food out of the mouths of the crows and the ants to give
it to the worms and the maggots?"

 

[Tsuyoiko]

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.

Another one: "99% of all statistics are made up on the spot". I heard Vic Reeves say that, but not sure if it's his or he was quoting someone else.

 

[ninjacatman]

I have three this time "Failure is the first step to success" (not sure who)

and: "Great success is born from great necessity" (also not sure who)

"Common sense is NOT common!" - Elbert Einstein

 

[ninjacatman]

Hi all, I just thought of a good one.
To be a true champion you must first defeat yourself.
(what I mean is the self-discipline needed to push one's
body or mind enough to master something is quite a lot,
and you have to overcome your own desire to quite in
order to achieve anything)

 

[ninjacatman]

Come on guys! don't let me do all the talking; it's boring here by myself!


Better to be silent and be thought a fool, then to speak and remove all doubt.
(I don't know who first said that, but I'd love to shake his hand)