NationStates

What is the wisest thing someone has ever said to you, or something someone said that impacted your life in the most profound way? It could be from NationStates or not, this is a place to share wisdom others have given you no matter the source.

For me, it was my father’s PhD professor, who said “if you’re the smartest in the room you’re in the wrong room.” I have always tried to surround myself with people that know more than me so I can best learn, thanks to that quote. I might update this later if I remember something better.

edit: glad this took off! Tbh I wasn’t expecting it to

Uncle Iroh.

Failure is only the opportunity to begin again.

I can't really remember anything personal to me, though. I'll update this if I can think of something.

Edit: Wait, hold on, I think I have something. It's from the Instagram account @the_mini_adhd_coach. It's not an exact quote, but instead it's one of their posts: "How ADHD can impact friendship." It made me re-evaluate my friendships with my closest friends and made me re-evaluate my relationships in general. It especially made me feel a lot better about dealing with anxiety around them and mixing up their birthdays, lol. I don't think it really counts as "wise" but it means a lot to me.

"If you kick it like that you'll turn your leg into mulch and there'll be no one to blame but yourself."

I've kept that advice close to my heart for years.

When I was an awkward 16-year-old at summer camp, I decided not to enter most events in an athletic competition involving several teams of other kids at camp. I did swimming and maybe one other event I was decent at.

Another camper who was 13 at the time and was actually a bit of a bully to me started talking and it took me a moment to realize he was addressing me, but I caught him telling me to at least try to compete and not give up without an effort.

"Don't worry if you're not good. You'll get good," he said.

The fact that kid felt it important to tell me that made as much of an impression as the words themselves. It's informed my approach to life in the 30-plus years since it happened.

Never attribute to malice what can easily be explained by human stupidity.

No one on their death bed ever said "I wish I spent more time at the office".


--- mom.

The anagram of "the meaning of life" is "the fine game of nil"

Dunno about the wiseness per see, but it has certainly affected me when dealing with hard events or decisions.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=434440&p=33733405#p33733405

Doctor Franklin once told me that if the United States could get going and not become like North Korea, things would work themselves out. It took almost 200 years for me to understand what he meant.

"Love is simply an electrical bug in the human neural circuit."

I've lived by this every day since I heard in all those years ago.

"It's not what you know. It's not who you know. It's what you know about who you know."

Runner up: "Bad facts don't make bad law. Bad lawmakers make bad law."

Work smart, not hard.

It's actually my family's motto: Fas est et ab hoste doceri. Just because you may dislike a teacher doesn't mean you should ignore the lessons they teach or shut out ideas that are opposed to your own.

Farnhamia wrote:https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=434440&p=33733405#p33733405

Doctor Franklin once told me that if the United States could get going and not become like North Korea, things would work themselves out. It took almost 200 years for me to understand what he meant.

He never let you have a try at his Time Machine I take it.

My mother, years ago:

Nunca busques yugo desigual.

That’s a simple version of the Biblical verse of II Corinthians 14-18: “Do not be unequally yoked together…” She wanted me, when the time came, to be with someone who was similar to myself.

She was so right. My first two relationships were so uneven and tormenting (they ended horribly), until I took her advice to heart. And I’m glad I did.

"look both ways before crossing the street"

never done me wrong

"(Insert my name here), be a good man, just like your father"
-My Mom

The next day, I went to school and annoyed my female friend until she slapped me on the face. Is that what i get for being "just like my father". (Btw. Annoying as in like a friendly fun kinda way. Not like bullying or mocking)

Kowani wrote:"look both ways before crossing the street"

never done me wrong

Whoever told you that is very wise indeed.

I would say Einstein's « The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it. » is the wisest thing I've ever been told about.

"No one was really thinking about you in the first place"

Can't remember where I came across this, and it's part of a slightly longer thing but this is the only line that matters - and it's related to the 'never ascribe malice to what is probably just stupidity', however it goes..

..but it's quite liberating to accept very little is about you, it's rarely personal, and even if it is then it's best to carry on almost as if it isn't.

Who you are or what people think about you is about the least interesting question in the world, remove that load on your brain space and start just viewing the world as it is, don't bother with what someone thinks about you, just enjoy learning what they think in general.

The rest of the world is far more interesting than you are, and we'd likely be in a better place if everyone realised that.

I'm firmly of the opinion that true wisdom isn't something that can easily be conveyed through a soundbite, but as far as soundbites go, the quote in my signature isn't a bad one.

"Here try this, it's called beer".

-dad

Always make sure.

Always.

"Trust no one, suspect everyone."

A drunk security once told me that when I was 19, and its proved to be the best advice I've ever had, I only wish I'd followed it more closely.

always ask the next question

(but of yourself, quietly)

I thought for a while and came up blank. All the wisdom has come from books for me.

An Alan Smithee Nation wrote:I thought for a while and came up blank. All the wisdom has come from books for me.

Who's the author? Or maybe the character that said it, if its fictional.

That reminds me some other wise words

"If you have 2 options and you don't like either of them. Then make up a third option"
-Sherlock Holmes