In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus must pass between Charybdis, a treacherous whirlpool, and Scylla, a horrid human-eating, cliff-dwelling monster.
And so was born
that cliched term, ‘caught between a rock and a hard place’, implying the difficulty of choice when no outcome appears to be advantageous. In fact, at times, the choices available to us are blatantly awful and our thoughts are consumed with what we know will be lost. We don’t always know when something is going to turn out positively for us, but we tend
Browsing category: Thought
"What is meaningful remains more compelling than what is true. People are more willing to accept and act upon what is meaningful to them, than upon what is true." Mark Peterson, Philosopher
"A single grateful thought toward heaven is the most perfect prayer." Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
“And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
"In times of joy, all of us wished we possessed a tail could wag." W. H. Auden
Some months back, I attended a workshop with the acclaimed Harvard-trained biologist, practising psychologist, and best-selling author, Joan Borysenko. The workshop explored her studies in evolutionary narrative. With her unique blend of hard-core scientist and decades of study and practice in meditation, she has an abiding certainty in the mind-body connection, and how critical it is to marry a healthy mind to a vital body so we can become a meaningful presence in the world. Borysenko’s work in narrative is well renowned. As
"Don't believe everything you think." Byron Katie
In the iconic Dr Seuss book, Green Eggs and Ham, the character of Sam-I-Am persistently tries to convince the protagonist to try a plate of delicious green eggs and ham. Try as he might there is no convincing his friend of the epicurean delights of his ham and eggs – no matter how verdant they are. No house, no boat, no mouse, no goat can lure the protagonist to change his mind. Until, of course, he does, and just like that he too becomes an ardent fan of the gastronomic peculiarity known as green eggs and ham. Quite simply, he
“For the most part, what we think of as 'I' is nothing more than a whole heap of conditioning.” Etienne de L’Amour, Escape from the Shadowlands
"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams." Jeremy Irons