If conscience doesn’t create a barrier between impulse and indulgence, intelligence must
If conscience doesn’t create a barrier between impulse and indulgence intelligence must Suppose a river tends to overflow unpredictably, flooding the nearby areas. To protect [...]
Pleasure is too fragile a purpose to sustain us through life’s troubles
Pleasure is too fragile a purpose to sustain us through life's troubles We all seek pleasure. Yet life can put us in such dilemmas and [...]
Our expectation that nothing should come in our way, often comes in our way
Our expectation that nothing should come in our way, often comes in our way Our culture often glamorizes go-getters who achieve great goals without letting [...]
Hold your plans lightly not tightly
Hold your plans lightly not tightly Suppose we catch a beautiful butterfly and hold it in our fingers. If we hold it too tightly, fearing [...]
Living for the moment is a prescription for chaos at best and calamity at worst
Living for the moment is a prescription for chaos at best and calamity at worst While driving along an expressway, suppose we see something attractive [...]
Never lose faith in your potential to improve or you will court cowardice and malice
Never lose faith in your potential to improve or you will court cowardice and malice Suppose a patient loses faith in the potential of any [...]
Words are not just vehicles of thought but also engines of thought
Words are not just vehicles of thought but also engines of thought We often think of words as tools for expressing our thoughts. When we [...]
Regulate emotion with reason animate reason with emotion
Regulate emotion with reason animate reason with emotion Reason and emotion are two of our fundamental human faculties. By reason, we can be orderly, logical, [...]
Exploiting others’ weaknesses doesn’t make us strong – overcoming our own weaknesses does
Exploiting others’ weaknesses doesn’t make us strong – overcoming our own weaknesses does Some people see the world primarily in terms of power struggles. They [...]
When a danger is less visible, it leaves us more vulnerable
When a danger is less visible it leaves us more vulnerable If we are afflicted by some disease with visible symptoms such as TB, we [...]
Some limits restrict; some protect – knowing which limit does what is intelligence
Some limits restrict; some protect - knowing which limit does what is intelligence When we are limited in any way, we often see that limitation [...]
Envy targets the envied but torments the envious
Envy targets the envied but torments the envious Envy is the inner dark tendency that makes us miserable at others’ successes; it impels us to [...]
Conscience without intelligence is blunt intelligence without conscience is numb
Conscience without intelligence is blunt intelligence without conscience is numb Conscience and intelligence are two vital components of our inner defense mechanism. Whenever we feel [...]
We are the makers of our destiny but not the masters of our destiny
We are the makers of our destiny but not the masters of our destiny When we strive to achieve something challenging, we soon realize that [...]
Weakness makes us hotheaded wickedness makes us cold-blooded
Weakness makes us hotheaded wickedness makes us cold-blooded We all sometimes act wrongly. But not all wrong actions are equally serious – they fall at [...]
What is our greatest treasure is often not what we treasure the greatest
What is our greatest treasure is often not what we treasure the greatest Suppose a child is asked to choose between a toy and a [...]
Time can be a fire in which we burn or a teacher from whom we learn
Time can be a fire in which we burn or a teacher from whom we learn Time is a formidable, inexorable force that pushes us [...]
Intelligence is meant to be the mind’s instructor not its instrument
Intelligence is meant to be the mind’s instructor not its instrument We all have within us something that is impulsive and something that is reflective. [...]
Don’t run from pain or rush towards pleasure – refocus on your purpose
Don’t run from pain or rush towards pleasure – refocus on your purpose Suppose we are driving on a road to a destination. If the [...]
Our intelligence is not like a fixed deposit – it is like a stock market share
Our intelligence is not like a fixed deposit – it is like a stock market share Suppose we invest in stocks but think of such [...]
We are our greatest hope – and our greatest horror
We are our greatest hope – and our greatest horror We all sometimes act like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde; we act sometimes like a [...]