I find there to be profound wisdom in proverbs, sayings and quotes and I marvel at the way they are so succinct in communicating messages to the reader. Mostly anonymous, they come to us from past and from across cultures. They speak of the experiences of lives lived and lessons learned. Quotes, like proverbs, make us think more deeply about something.
Each Thursday, I post a Proverb or Saying and a quote that I find thought-provoking.
I hope you will too.
As politics in the Western world is front and centre, the proverb and quotes this week are my own reflection on the current situation. You may be someone who is not interested in politics, but as it affects how each and every of us live our lives, to varying degrees, it is vitally important to have an opinion. As we can see things can so very quickly change from one day to the next.
Something to Ponder About?
To deceive a diplomat – speak the truth, he has no experience with it –
Greek Proverb
A few words from the Women’s marches in America earlier this week:
Women’s Rights aren’t up for GRABS.
Disability Rights are Civil Rights.
Respect for Existence or Expect Resistance.
https://friendlyfairytales.com/
and a final quote on materialism:
“Things that you own, end up owning you.”
annaherschand.com
Do you agree with the final quote?
The Greeks invented Democracy and yet their proverb sound quite cynical, don’t you think? Why would this be?
Were there marches in your city? How did you feel about them?
I would be pleased to hear your thoughts. Add to the discussion!
Something to Ponder About 
wow! i love these images. I like the quotes and it’s meaning.
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Thank you Lakesha. May I call you that? I really like the quotes and sayings that have layers of meanings to think about. After all, every saying originated with a message. I also try to select an image from my media library that somehow relates or could throw an interpretation on the proverb. It is not always possible to find the right image from my stock, but I do try. Thanks for your lovely comment. It is nice to know that it is appreciated. If you are looking to increase your readership of your blog, and you have a quote you would like to contribute, you can email me and I will add it as a guest contribution with a link back to your blog. That way new people can read your blog too!
Cheers, Amanda
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I was at the beach so missed the march in Canberra, but many friends were there. Lots of friends and relatives marched in various US cities. As for the quotes, Voltaire’s certainly hits the mark.
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I love that you would participated Peggy! The power of the word, be it spoken or written can, in the hands of wrongdoers, be extraordinarily manipulative of the masses. That is a frightening and very real prospect. It appears it doesn’t even have to be very convincing propaganda. People will still believe it. It is almost as if the population feeds on hatred and derision as a way to get a high. Are they so bored, do you think? Voltaire did indeed hit the mark, but I hope he does not continue to be prophetic!!!!
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Sadly, the propaganda can be downright lies and the public eats it up. So frustrating.
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Some eat and even worse, some feast on it!
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The quotes are all ringing true today. Humankind as a species has come far indeed. When Voltaire spoke his words there was still slavery in practice on a large scale and serfdom across Europe and Asia. It seems that there are forces out there who wants to turn this progress back, Will they succeed? Not if the silent majoity stands for it
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Absolutely agree. The silent majority must speak out against oppression of the people’s and women’s rights. I feel like we have stepped back to the fities or sixties in some ways. The politicians so often underestimate the vital role they have in informing the people and moreover, representing their constituent’s views. They have a role to educate, inform, reassure and motivate the comminities. Instead they are often peddling discrimination, xenophobia and fear-mongering. This phenomenon is seen in many parts of the world today. Usually I feel, the motive is power and or greed? Or is that too cynical a view in itself, Mel &Suan? I would be very interested to hear your thoughts
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Politicians, to us they bend to the direction of the wind. The winds of discontent that is. That winds votes…
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What an eloquent way to put it. Sad that its true. As a group, humans will never have unaminous opinions, but it is a shame we don’t have less corruption. At least the checks and balances would maintain a more equitable political system. I wish I had a solution!
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1. Love revisiting this Volatire quote, and I think it’s so true. When someone can make us believe the impossible, there’s no thinking what we think we may do. That can be a liberating thing but on the other hand, it is also a moment of greed and selfishness – and that never ends well. It’s sort of like allowing someone to run wild and free, and they run of into the wilderness and adopt a whole other new lifestyle and train of thought altogether.
2. Really am not sure how to interpret the Greek proverb. Maybe it means being as honest as possible in order to trick an unscrupulous diplomat…because maybe this tactic will make this kind of diplomat trip over his words at some point.
3. We all have rights and shouldn’t be afraid to voice what we want.
4. Certainly agree with this one. The more we have, the more we may realise there are so many other choices out there and it is tempting to try them all. You can have one, but if you can afford it, why not buy another one? It is rather reckless mentality but I guess that is the way some of us think.
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1. I thought the Voltaire quote apt in the current political news arena atm, Mabel. And to your follow up comment on doing the impossible: being liberating: I am reminded of something you said to me recently about seeing both sides of the argument. However, where does liberation finish and greed and selfishness begin? That is something each individual must answer for themselves.
I think if the person doesn’t listen to their inner voice and the ego is permitted to fully take over, the person can then pass in some ways, the point of no return to common sense. In some cases, they might start to ignore fact, logic and rationalism and ultimately, might even descend into the murky world of voyeuristic narcissism or megalomania!A scary prospect by any measure! Particularly if that person is a politician with power. Which leads me to the Greek Proverb.
2. It sounds like the Greeks have developed a cynicism about politics. They realised I think, that democratic process is perfect in theory, but implicitly relies heavily on the truth being upheld as a virtue. If it is not, the system and its users might well become corrupt. Furthermore, all those still existing within it, must also become complicit in the deception, in order to survive in the political sphere. It is sad to think that politics has historically, always been deceptive and corrupt, but for the Greeks to develop this proverb, it must have been like that in the early days too?
Or, the proverb might be a comment on frustration of bureaucratic process? It is a tough one, I’ll admit.
3. Bravo! I hate to see the erosion of civil rights
4. I feel that there has been a wonderful shift away from materialism, in recent years, due to environmental education. yay! People are trying to care for our planet. They understand the implications. The younger generation heartens me when for example, they are well aware of the wastage of trees to produce paper, when they know they can send something electronically. However, younger people often buy new appliances and clothing like IT grows on trees. Nothing is repaired anymore, just thrown out. The skills of repairing an item seems to be becoming lost to common knowledge. We, as consumers, accumulate so much ‘stuff” in our lives, when really we need so little of these things. (Basic needs excepted).
I think the prime example of this is the mobile smartphone. Hideously expensive, almost essential equipment especially for work, social life and connections. Many of us become addicted or tied to checking our notifications/emails/twitter/social media/ reddit/forums etc. Our attention is totally absorbed by this object and it seems as if the object really owns us, our minds. We cannot do with it. We panic if it is lost/broken. And they are designed to only last 18 months!
Having said all that, I find myself to be guilty of being owned by a smartphone, but try to be less materialistic in other ways, each year. I always attempt try to find a secondary use for an object before tossing it away as landfill. Mobile phone excepted… although these too are recycled.
Lots to discuss this week, it seems.
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Excellent post, quotes, and comments. Regarding Point 2 in the preceding comment, today the Greek proverb would definitely apply to politicians more than diplomats, but to the Greeks, apparently one was as bad as the other.
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Thanks so much for the comment here, Mistermuse. Oh yes, diplomats are no longer holier than thou, it seems. Many diplomats representing our country are ex politicians, so that situation would naturally follow……..
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