On 'Trying' vs. 'Doing'

Most people who use the word 'try' fail to do what they are 'trying' to do. That is why they use it -- as an 'excuse', a 'rationalization', a 'justification' -- for failing. (And I freely admit, I can be one of the worst offenders here.)

Either you want to do something badly enough -- that you just do it -- and no excuses are needed and/or relevant. Or you use the word 'try' -- and you set yourself up for failure. Call the word 'try' a self-fulfilling prophecy for expected failure.

Either you 'do'.

Or you 'don't'.

Everything else is irrelevant -- or at least background 'noise, smoke and mirrors' for what really is going on, for what really is or isn't going to happen.

Of course for some things, you need a willing partner. Or at least one who is willing to 'negotiate' with you.

But that is a different story -- one that we will now take to the American Politics section of Hegel's Hotel.

- dgb, October 28th, 2008.

A Nietzsche Aphorism

He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze into the abyss, take care that the abyss does not gaze into you. -- Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)

(Laurence Gane and Kitty Chan, Introducing Nietzsche, p. 108, this edition published in the U.K., 1999)

On The 'Actualization' of Intellect, Knowledge, and Skill..(An Email to My Sister)

Intellect, knowledge, skill, it's all wasted talent, potential, and capability unless you can deliver it in such a way with passion and enough simplicity that people can understand your message and apply it in a way that helps to make their life better...

I would say as far as my psychology training and self-education in philosophy, that I have been doing much, much better this last year than about the 20 years previously, thanks mainly to the invention of the 'blog-site' which has turned thousands of 'wanna be writers' into actual writers -- many with a very good, solid message to convey -- who might not have otherwise been able to reach their desired target audience in the public domain.

I include myself in this latter group. Finding 'Blogger.com' was like hitting a gold mine for me -- it delivered to me an empty writing canvas waiting for me to 'paint my painting on it'. 'Google' has been the other gold mine for me as it continues to help deliver my philosophical message to all of these new, wild, exotic, and wonderful places.

Now it's just a matter of my continuing to push ahead and finding out just how far my writing can take me...no different than wherever your next 'empty painting canvas' takes you...

Everybody has their own unique talents; it's just a matter of each and everyone of us finding our own particular 'medium to deliver our own particular message'.

To be sure, it is encouraging to feel that i have seemed to have found mine...

-- dgb, October 17th, 2008.

Reprise

If you are good enough at what you do,
People will coming looking for you.

-- dgb, Oct. 6th, 2008.