What a wanderer could wonder about...

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Rain or rainbow... and what about pain?

"There could be no rainbow, without a little rain." -- Susan Polis Schutz*
And pain... some say it's the only education worth having! However, perhaps it is also important to keep in mind that
"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." -- Dalai Lama*

* Both quotes seems be old sayings somehow rephrased by the mentioned people.

Friday, October 26, 2007

My great task of happiness...

If I have faltered more or less
In my great task of happiness;
If I have moved among my race
And shown no glorious morning face;
If beams from happy human eyes
Have moved me not; if morning skies,
Books, and my food, and summer rain
Knocked on my sullen heart in vain: –
Lord, Thy most pointed pleasure take
And stab my spirit broad awake;
Or, Lord, if too obdurate I,
Choose Thou, before that spirit die,
A piercing pain, a killing sin,
And to my dead heart run them in!

-- R. L. Stevenson (The Celestial Surgeon)

Procrastination

I saw this interesting cartoon on our myETH pages today, which made me go read on Procrastination.

Procrastination is a type of "avoidance behavior" which is characterized by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time. It is often cited by psychologists as a mechanism for coping with the anxiety associated with starting or completing any task or decision.
...
For the person procrastinating this may result in stress, a sense of guilt, the loss of personal productivity, the creation of crisis and the chagrin of others for not fulfilling one's responsibilities or commitments.
...
Procrastinators are also thought to have a higher-than-normal level of conscientiousness, more based on the "dreams and wishes" of perfection...
...
Author David Allen brings up two major psychological causes of procrastination at work and in life which are related to anxiety, not laziness. The first category comprises things too small to worry about, tasks that are an annoying interruption in the flow of things, and for which there are low-impact workarounds; an example might be organizing a messy room. The second category comprises things too big to control, tasks that a person might fear, or for which the implications might have a great impact on a person's life; an example might be the adult children of a deteriorating senior parent deciding what living arrangement would be best.
...
Traditionally, procrastination has been associated with perfectionism, a tendency to negatively evaluate outcomes and one's own performance...[wikipedia]

It just so describes me...

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

The important sacrifice

"The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become." -- Charles DuBois

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Becoming of use?

I was thinking that in the recent past, I've been spending too much of my time just thinking about my fears or writing seethes here. I was thinking about this quote from Knuth today:

"The important thing, once you have enough to eat and a nice house, is what you can do for others, what you can contribute to the enterprise as a whole."
After the first month here, which was more of a survival effort, I think it is time for me to try to make myself useful in some way. I really don't know what I can do that would be of any benefit to others though, but I should start from somewhere... (any suggestion?). Perhaps having the following quote in mind as the ultimate goal could help:
"Be the change you want to see in the world." -- Ghandi

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Théorie analytique des probabilités

"Probability theory is nothing but common sense reduced to calculation" -- Laplace

Monday, October 08, 2007

A sad thin thought!

"And think how lonely would be the little fish if she falls in love with the boundless blue of the sea?"

-- Sohrab Sepehri (Mosafer, Pilgrim)

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Where is thy land?

I am drunk and you are mad
Who'll take us home...?
...
I asked "where is thy land?"
With laughter said
"Half from the Arabian sand
And half a heavenly strand."

"Half made of water and clay
Half soul and half solar ray
Half on the shallow beaches lay
Half from the oyster's pearly play."
...
-- Rumi