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Proverbial Thursday – Global Words of Wisdom

Forestwood

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 generations and from across cultures. They speak of the experiences of lives lived and lessons learned. Valuable life lessons.  Quotes, like proverbs, make us think more deeply about something.

So, with that in mind, each Thursday, I post a Proverb or Saying, and a Quote from different cultures and parts of the world, that I have found thought-provoking. I hope you think so too. I invite you to comment on your thoughts behind the meaning of these, often enigmatic, words.

You are very welcome to join in the discussion!

You can find previous Proverbial Thursday Quotes here – some of the discussions are fascinating.

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In calm water, every ship has a good captain ~

Swedish Proverb

VAsa Museum

Although the proverb’s words did not help the ship:’Vasa’ on its maiden voyage, from Stockholm, in 1628! Read more about visiting Stockholm and what happened to the King’s ship here.

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The quote I have chosen this week, does not necessarily apply only to school students, but also to workers, and all who interact with others, or reside in a community. The student’s  words struck me as profound, especially for someone with much of her life ahead of her.

“It wasn’t the friendship, fights and drifts that broke us; it was if we allowed that to fester into deep grudges and acts of revenge.  It wasn’t completing the assessment pieces that made us; it was feeling stressed or so over them after Term 1 and yet repeating that process in Term 2, then Term 3, then Term 4.  And it wasn’t the embarrassment or judgment from people that broke us; it was whether we allowed that to shatter our confidence and self-belief.”

J Tinn – School Student 2016

The student’s words made me think it is not the misfortune or good news in itself, that affects our mood, it is how we perceive the words relative to our own sphere, how we individually interpret, accept or reject the words; how much we let the words get under our skin, or soak them up; how much we react to the words and what that reaction looks like. We can choose whether the words help or hinder us.

Is this true? We always have a personal, inner choice on how we react, even when there seems no other option? I believe so.  For whilst we cannot control what others might or might not do, we can always control how we act and – react. Do you agree?

yukkyfood

And do you think the Swedish proverb has any relevance in today’s world or is it applicable only, to times gone by?

proverbial-thurs

Something to Ponder About

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Published by Forestwood

A philosophic Aussie writes here at StPA, one who will readily admit to loving Scandinavia. I'm interested in global politics and what drives us to be who we are. Scratch the surface and you'll find a practical Environmentalist with an egalitarian bent, trying to unleash a little creativity via the written word. Scandinavian culture, literature and traditions are close to my heart, even though I'm Australian. Travel and courteous discussions greatly broaden the mind, so I travel if I can and am always up for a vigorous, respectful discussion. I'm an avid reader, a writer and I enjoy photography and crafts, particularly traditional art forms. I hope you'll find 'Something to Ponder About,' in my WordPress Community.

24 thoughts on “Proverbial Thursday – Global Words of Wisdom”

  1. Hi Amanda, Thanks for joining us on Networking Bloggers. I was thrilled to see you there! 🙂 We want it to be a great place of support and learning. 🙂 Great quote! Easier said than done, though! 🙂

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    1. You are absolutely spot on, Marsha! The doing is the hardest part. But do you think recognizing is the first step towards that sort of discipline?
      I am amazed at the quality and maturity in this 17 year old’s words. Thanks for your comment.

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      1. He actually was older than that when he wrote the article, though. He’s a journalist now, and a blogger friend. 🙂 He’s definitely worth a follow! 🙂

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      3. It gets that way, doesn’t it? I thought you were talking about Denzil Walton’s article about being misquoted when he wrote an article for the paper and the editor changed it entirely. 🙂

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      5. I’m sorry. How funny it is to have threads of conversations all going at one time. One of the advantages/disadvantages of WordPress.org is that you cannot talk on threads. You have to log back in, so you don’t get lost in too many conversations. Denzil Walton is a friend Carol Sherritt, one of my Australian friends I came to see this summer. I reposted one of his amazing posts on my Always Write blog. http://wp.me/p7tP3I-Ec

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      9. Some very talented people in this world. The amazing thing is that with internet and blogging we meeting people all over the world in whom we recognize greatness. Then greatness is thrust on people early, like some of our young singers that have been discovered through the internet. I wonder what impact that will have on society at some point in the future? You don’t have to answer that, you just got me thinking! 🙂

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      10. I would like to answer, Marsha. Of course, no one knows, but I do think that it may help them make a living out of something they do well, given that it is so easy to pirate music nowadays. I remember saving up soooo much money to buy records when I was a teen.

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      11. What a wonderful time we have had chatting tonight – for me. I remember not having money to buy records. Mine went for clothes, actually fabric so that I could sew clothes. 🙂 It is easy to pirate music. The industry works so much differently than it did when I was a child, teen, young adult and past that. Fascinating topic. So we should chat on Messenger sometime. Tonight, I’ll sign off and go to bed. 🙂

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  2. When things are predictable, everyone can be an expert. But the true test of mettle is when the tempest comes a blowing.
    “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words? never will”. We think that could partly summarize the words of the student. If we let words break us, then it will.

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    1. How true is that? Everything feels stable, when the waters of life are calm. But life is dynamic, never constant, and we are often challenged as stress levels rise. Our shortcomings come to the fore. Problems in life, will arise from time to time, ones that can’t easily or quickly be fixed, and this is when the strength of one’s character shines through in our individual coping strategies. If this strength is not yet present, this could be an opportunity for it to quickly develop. Alternatively, it can crush someone who is weak of character. I feel this also touches on how resilient one might be, too? Resilience and the confidence to know that words cannot hurt us, but our thoughts about them, (which might be as bad as sticks and stones), can, if we allow them to.

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  3. You piqued my interest as well. I came back to read J. Tinn’s quote. That is so deep for anyone, let alone a young student. He understands responsibility. We can only be responsible for ourselves. That being said, have you read Spilled Milk? http://amzn.to/2lJwUJ8 So at what age are we aware enough to take responsibility for ourselves and how the words and actions of others affect us? Are young people healthy enough to do this, or is it just innate in some and not in others. Can it be taught?

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    1. I think the age at which we develop a full and deep altristic responsibility, for our own actions and thoughts, varies between individuals. I think it requires a high emotional intelligence. I certainly was nowhere near this young girls understanding at the same age. I think she is destined for greatness in whatever field she strives for.

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  4. Amanda, your post with guest writer J Tinn, had me thinking and wondering. The mood and way messages are delivered really help make or break our connection and feelings about them! I agree!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by. Mood can be affected by an unfriendly tone. I am amazed at how chemicals in our brain react so fast. Sometimes we may not even realize why we feel down and it could possibly be a recent conversation and our interpretations of the words spoken. But it can also work in a positive way. Those people and conversations that uplift us and make us feel good for an often intangible reason. I am glad that Tinn’s words made you think. I am still amazed at how profound a statement it was given it was a young student in her final year of high school. Such awareness!!! She could have spoken on any number of other topics relating to her time at school, but didn’t. Instead choosing a philosophical topic. It is little wonder she went home with more academic musical and citizenship awards than any other student.

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