Lin Yutang on the magic of reading

vutran | Nov. 9, 2020, 8:21 a.m.

"Compare the difference between the life of a man who does no reading and that of a man who does. The man who has not the habit of reading is imprisoned in his immediate world, in respect to time and space. His life falls into a set routine; he is limited to contact and conversation with a few friends and acquaintances, and he sees only what happens in his immediate neighborhood. From this prison there is no escape.

But the moment he takes up a book, he immediately enters a different world, and if it is a good book, he is immediately put in touch with one of the best talkers of the world. This talker leads him on and carries him into a different country or a different age, or unburdens to him some of his personal regrets, or discusses with him some special line or aspect of life that the reader knows nothing about. An ancient author puts him in communion with a dead spirit of long ago, and as he reads along, he begins to imagine what that ancient author looked like and what type of person he was...

Now to be able to live two hours out of twelve in a different world and take one's thoughts off the claims of the immediate present is, of course, a privilege to be envied by people shut up in their bodily prison."

— Lin Yutang on the magic of reading

Trevor Kletz on how he accomplished so much in his career

vutran | Nov. 9, 2020, 8:19 a.m.

“If one asked permission there was a 50% chance it would be refused. If one just got on with it, 19 times out of 20 nothing was said.”

— Trevor Kletz on how he accomplished so much in his career

James Clear on building up successful outcomes over time

vutran | Nov. 9, 2020, 8:18 a.m.

"Successful outcomes are never the result of a single choice. They are built up through good choices over time.

A profitable business is never a choice, it is a series of choices.

A fit body is never a choice, it is a series of choices.

A strong relationship is never a choice, it is a series of choices."

— James Clear

James Clear on the the trick to writing well

vutran | Nov. 9, 2020, 8:18 a.m.

"The trick to writing well is to...

- take long sentences and make them short

- take confusing ideas and make them clear

- take unrelated concepts and make them related

...without losing the main idea in the process."

— James Clear

James Clear on borrowing knowledge but not action

vutran | Nov. 9, 2020, 8:17 a.m.

"You can borrow knowledge, but not action."

— James Clear

George Santayana on remembering the past to change the future

vutran | Nov. 7, 2020, 9:29 a.m.

"Those who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes.

Those who fail to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors are destined to repeat them."

— George Santayana

George Bernard Shaw on living a life that burns bright

vutran | Nov. 5, 2020, 10:13 a.m.

"This is the true joy in life:

being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one;

being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live.

I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no "brief candle" for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."

— George Bernard Shaw