www.cheesecheesecheese.net

the aphorisms of zen master this



institutions are designed to frustrate the individual from getting what he wants.wWe're taught to be patient, to ask, to pay our dues, but the prize invariably goes to the one who takes without asking.

the greatest hope for humanity lies in the fact that the institutional mind is never as sharp or as wise as the individual mind.

there's big money in helping people avoid facing reality and/or responsibility.

people will pay a lot for the privilege of being lied to convincingly.

people often need an authority figure to tell them what they already know.

a central problem in human nature: the urge to take (or delegate taking of) action, regardless of the likelihood of meaningful results.

one can't change other people; one can only change others' comfort level for resisting change.

organizations amplify the personalities of their leaders.

our capacity for self-delusion seems to increase with age, especially in the perceived importance of our work.

most of the things people "know" about the world comes from their imaginations.

television gives us the vicarious experience of others' successes so we don't have to experience our own.

art is a bridge between intellect and emotion.

the zealot's worldview is invariably a reflection of himself. the reason there are so few leaders who are men of peace is that there are so few men at peace.

given the opportunity, most people will put "doing what they should" ahead of "doing what they must."



let people talk long enough, and they'll usually talk themselves into doing what you wanted them to do.

you can choose to not let others' words hurt you. you can't choose to not let your own words hurt you, but you can choose better words.

the achievement of great material success requires an unlimited capacity for self-delusion and rationalization.

normal people don't make headlines.

reality, and sanity, lie on the thin line between denial (not seeing what is there) and paranoia (seeing what is not there).

many a lifetime is wasted between "good enough" and "perfect."

see the humanity and pathos in your enemy's eyes and you will never be intimidated.

credibility depends in part on the alignment of what we appear to be with what we believe we are. we are distrustful of those whose outward appearance doesn't fit with their self-image.

commitment is usually inversely proportional to objectivity.

it's not about whether the glass is half full or half empty; it's about whether it's filling up or emptying out.

if you can choose to be just one thing, be genuine.

as much as possible, approach every moment of life with a sense of humor.

having a more qualified opinion doesn't automatically make a person right.

one can always find people who know the answers; the more important thing is to know the questions.

20% of one's time, well spent, will generate 80% of one's enjoyment of life.

expediency is the enemy of truth and justice.

a person's greatest and rarest blessing: the love of a good woman/man.

the biggest problem with becoming an enlightened, self-empowered person is that most people couldn't handle it.

the first rule for being successful by conventional standards is not to question success by conventional standards.

we are all funnels of our experience.

the three great struggles of the individual: Identity - Who am I (against consumerism)?; Meaning - What am I (against nihilism)?, and Reality - What is true (against cognitive dissonance)?

seek to attain and maintain momentum, however little, in the things you most want to do.

life becomes so much richer when our eyes are opened to the world of ideas.

most ideas aren't worth an entire book.