"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."
Winston Churchill
The British Prime Minister during World War II is an iconic character among the histories written by the victors. Remember, those who are victors in wars position their truth in history: they are not necessarily the truth.
However, this does not detract from the common sense of the quote I share with you today.
Yes, holding back or exploding at the moment requires not only courage but also wisdom and cunning.
Image: Winston Churchill at the AUSTRIA, December 1941
"Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom, not a guide by which to live."
Robert F. Kennedy
If anything was a significant event for the Kennedys, it was a tragedy.
Both Robert and his brother, the former President of the United States, were assassinated. So tragedy brought them both neither wisdom nor guidance for living.
Nevertheless, I do not take credit for the quota.
Image: Robert F. Kennedy appearing before Platform Committee, August 19, 1964.
"The mind unlearns with difficulty what it has long learned."
Seneca the Younger
Today I learned biographical facts about one of the most distinguished exponents of classical Stoicism. Yes, I had not realized that the Seneca I had read years ago was the junior, whose father with the same name was also famous and famous as a lawyer and orator. Besides having a brother quoted in the Christian New Testament: Galion; and another brother poet: Lucan.
I have in my library some volumes with writings by Cicero and Seneca, as well as Marcus Aurelius.
Stoicism is a relatively high moral philosophy, but I must clarify if memory serves me correctly, that based on some records of the lives of these men, we find contradictions between thinking and doing in some of them.
Well, that's how complicated we humans are.
This would give to develop an extensive article by itself. But, it is not my intention on this occasion. The quote's significance lies in the simplicity with which the philosopher posed the rigidity of the human mind with the passage of time.
Sometimes it is necessary to unlearn bad habits and wrong ideas, but it is not as easy as saying it. The force of habit should not be underestimated.
Image: Portrait de Sénèque d'après l'antique » (le Pseudo-Sénèque), burin (H. 29 cm ; l. 20 cm) réalisé d'après Pierre Paul Rubens vers 1638 par [[:fr:Lucas Vorsterman|Lucas Vorsterm
"Where is the Life we have lost in living? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?"
George Eliot
Who was George Eliot?
My first surprise was that it was not him, but her: whose real name was Mary Ann Evans.
So, she used a male pseudonym in Victorian times in Britain to be taken seriously among novelists and poets.
In the quote, I note the existential anguish of inferring a life without meaning or transcendence. I do not think of loss in the process. Rather the gain in sharing the experiences and thoughts of seemingly monotonous, but in reality singular lives.
If not, what is the point of you reading me, and vice versa?
Image: George Eliot (1819-1880), aged 30, by the Swiss artist Alexandre-Louis-François d'Albert-Durade (1804-1886), whose family she lived with while in Switzerland
BitcoinCash2022 Conference in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Roger Ver a few minutes ago began the second round of speakers within a panel. Let's see what news it brings to the BCH community.
BitcoinCash2022 Conference
The second session of the conference began with Jason, a member of the BCH Australia community who is very active in social work and social networks. For sure, you will have seen it more than once in noise.cash.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W0-N_0K6jQ
The BCH conference in St Kitts has been very interesting for three hours, which has served me not only to ratify my views on the future of BCH but also to test my listening skills in English.
Is the Crash of the crypto market the end of the Web?
https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/is-the-crash-of-the-crypto-market-the-end-of-the-web-4c83f49a
Today I read the news about the announcement of the bankruptcy proceedings and Bankman's resignation as CEO of Exchange FTX.
The last name of the resigning CEO speaks volumes to me. Coincidence, I don't think so.
I believe that centralized Exchanges have important roles in the current process to reset the economy. The goal is to end the pretense of building a new Web in the best pioneering cyberspace style.
In that sense, we have to be very attentive to the next actions in the markets in general. The crypto market does not operate outside the larger system. I think this new case proves it.
Image by emrahkarakas on Pixabay
"Man is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness from which he emerges and the infinity in which he is enveloped."
Blaise Pascal
Pascal is a French surname that resonates in my mind since I was studying algebra at university. He was not only a genius mathematician and physicist, but he was also a renowned philosopher and theologian in the 17th century who contributed some of the foundations for the formation of existentialism.
And today when I came across one of his thoughts in my random quotes I was perplexed.
Infinity and nothingness are two realities inaccessible not only to the senses. Who has seen nothingness? Who has reached infinity? Even for Reason, it is a complete mystery.
Concepts that are undeniably linked to God himself.
In this sense, you may have heard about Pascal's wager. Well, it seems that this wise man's wager is a winning one for those who act accordingly.
Undoubtedly, Pascal is a more than interesting character.
By unknown; a copy of the painting of François II Quesnel, which was made for Gérard Edelinck in 1691. - http://www.astrosurf.org/luxorion/Documents/pascal-blaise.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23308198
"If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception; it is a prevailing attitude."
Colin Powell
The author of this quote was an American military man and politician who died of complications from Covid19 in October of last year.
I recall that he was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War in 1991 and later served as Secretary of State. In that capacity, he served in important assignments during the presidencies of Bush Sr. and Jr. respectively.
Powell roughly emerged from the Bronx in Manhattan to the White House in Washington. Admirable for an African American.
He is also the first to hold the highest military office without being an officer trained at military schools such as West Point. Impressive for a geologist assimilated into an officer.
So, Power's advice has the backing of a well-formed reputation.
Be excellent in everything you do no matter how small the task. Make it a habit.
Image by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay
Can someone like me or you write a novel?
https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/can-someone-like-me-or-you-write-a-novel-f5d4e0af
Writing a novel is a challenge for anyone who likes to write.
Of course, the first one will have tasted the pleasure of reading at least one novel.
Keeping the audience's attention is a challenge for anyone. So at the very least, one must be able to keep the thrill of writing and the attention of the first reader, which is yourself. If you can't, then give up if you have this goal in mind.
I don't know if I will be able to do it. Not because I lack time availability and writing skill. One manages. The obstacle will be whether I will maintain the excitement in the process.
You may say to me, "If you have those doubts. Then don't even try.
Well! Then where would the challenge be?
Yes, I will.
Image by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay
"What you do today can improve all your tomorrows."
Ralph Marston
Well, it's a simple but very valid phrase.
But who is the author of it?
In my search on the Web, I found in the first instance a soccer player who died more than 50 years ago and was hardly documented. I said to myself, this can't be him!
So I kept looking and found the most likely candidate with the same name and who has a website dedicated to personal motivation.
https://greatday.com/
No doubt this is the source of this random quote.
I like the concept of Mr. Marston's website. I even identify in part with what I do in these messages that I share with you here on a daily basis.
Regarding the quote, I will be the discordant note, since what you do today can also sour all your tomorrows. So be wise and act accordingly.
The photo was taken by me
"Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind."
Bruce Lee
Undoubtedly the Hong Kong martial artist set a benchmark in pop culture in the second half of the 20th century.
However, like all artists, he also transcended or at least helped to spread ideas with his own words, playing the role of the philosopher.
The quote is a call to be flexible in life to avoid further damage. Adversities are like strong winds, and people are like oak or bamboo.
Being assertive is neither bad nor good. Neither is being flexible. Of course, it is convenient to be strong and relaxed simultaneously.
One does not know what calamity one will face tomorrow.
Image by peter jung on Pixabay
Is there such a thing as a crypto-verse?
https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-crypto-verse-17ee5af9
Yes, they are buzzwords that set a direction for where society-changing technology is headed.
I didn't really see a consensus on the crypto-verse, but that doesn't mean we don't feel its effects.
In fact, if you are reading me you are already in the crypto-verse.
We'll see what the future brings beyond Bigtech marketing campaigns.
Perhaps the crypto-verse is the materialization of the cyberpunks' yearnings taking shape here and now.
Image by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay
"Wisdom alone is the science of the other sciences."
Plato
Although there is no consensus to determine exactly where the famous pupil of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle was born, no one can doubt that the most important part of his 80 years was spent in ancient Athens, where he founded the academy.
Not everyone understands precisely the scope of wisdom. So the definition given by the ancient Greek philosopher can clarify the picture.
In this particular, I am convinced that wisdom is a manifestation of the source of all things.
Image by Raphael, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
"Know that although in the eternal scheme of things you are small, you are also unique and irreplaceable, as are all your fellow humans everywhere in the world."
Margaret Laurence
Without a doubt, this quote is very apt. However, when I researched the author of the quote, I found several people with the same name.
So, how do be sure to make a brief biographical sketch about the author of the quote?
Well, the most plausible one is the Canadian literary woman known for her children's storytelling. She has the profile for it. Since a Broadway actress with a tragic ending does not fit this way of thinking.
Of course, sometimes appearances can be deceiving.
In any case, the quote encompasses both of them, regardless of how they have lived their lives.
Photos:
- https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/margaret-laurence
- Margaret Lawrence, leading woman as the divorced wife in the delightful comedy hit "Wedding Bells". From her latest photograph by Lewis-Smith, Chicago.
"Living is not a self-enslaving or imposed routine. Living is about finding the perfect balance between internal and external pressure as we move through the cycle.
In the end, we will leave as we arrived. Only the intensity with which you live in the here and now with those around you will be worth it. "
My personal quote for today.
For quite some time, I have been sharing quotes from famous people or proverbs that transcend in popular wisdom leaving their authors in oblivion.
Today I just want to share with you something that suddenly came to my mind before going to bed.
Of course, I am sure that the ideas are not totally original, but the moment I write it will be unpublished. At least for me.
I wish you an excellent week, full of blessings and good things.
The photo was taken by me.
"Knowing is not enough; we must apply!"
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The author of Faust, a friend of Beethoven, literature, and music, makes a logical recommendation.
What is the use of knowing if you are not going to apply it?
Well, I see a third way, if you learn something and you can't apply it, at least teach it to others.
Besides, there will always be things to learn that will need favorable conditions to be applied.
Many of Leonardo's or Tesla's inventions were based on the knowledge that needed undeveloped knowledge to be applied.
But they left some sketches and documentation of their experiments that others many years later were able to apply.
In any case, Goethe is quite right.
Karl Joseph Stieler - Transferred from nds.wikipedia to Commons..org by G.Meiners at 12:05, 15. Okt 2005.
Are you a blogger or a crypto writer?
https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/are-you-a-blogger-or-a-crypto-writer-1d6ad86f
One usually assumes the identity of the trade that occupies most of one's time.
So if you teach, you define yourself as a teacher and others confirm it.
But on second thought, you have more than one role. So you have more of an identity than you think.
In the case of web writing, it's very similar.
So if you write on websites, technically you can consider yourself in principle a blogger.
Now, if you share some ideas and try to add value to the subject matter you will certainly add another epithet.
Those who write about the crypto-verse can qualify as a crypto writer, and why not? Crypto blogger, sounds good for another article, right?
Image was generated by Stable Diffusion
"We lost because we told ourselves we lost."
Leo Tolstoy
Yes, the secret to success is to never accept the small defeats along the way. When you have resignation in this one, it will be all over.
In any case, success is not in arriving at the goal, but in not having it and always continuing to
Tolstoy is one of the most renowned Russian novelists in world literature, who has not heard of "War and Peace". I must confess, I have not read it, but I do not rule out reading it soon.
"Lev Tolstoy in Yasnaya Polyana", 1908, the first color photo portrait in Russia.
Today we woke up to very cold weather and with the whistling of the wind accompanying the constant blowing of the wind.
According to the meteorological service of my country, this is due to the meeting of Antarctic and tropical winds.
We live almost on the equatorial line, so I am surprised by this atmospheric phenomenon. I am not saying that it is unprecedented, but I confess, it is only now that I become aware of its causes.
This situation is affecting the internet service. For this reason, the interaction on social media will be reduced. Perhaps, it will be a good time to take a break from these.
The photo was taken by me just now.
"When a man is born he is soft and supple. When a man dies he becomes stiff and rigid. Plants and trees are delivered delicate and tender. But when they die they become dry and rough. Therefore hard and stiff are symbols of death; soft and supple are symbols of life. Therefore: An army too mighty will not conquer. A thorny tree is doomed to be felled. Thus: The strong and mighty must be below. The weak and tender are above."
Lao Tse
Today, I was undecided on which quote to share, whether one from Epictetus or this one I show you.
I am a bit worried! I recently resumed my evening exercise routine, the purpose is to stop being totally sedentary.
Not long ago, I used to touch my toes without bending my knees, now, it has become impossible.
So what the Eastern sage says resonates in my mind.
I hope that soon I will recover part of my body flexibility. I wonder how rigid I will be mental.
I know we all have expiration dates, but trying to get to the end as well as possible should be one of the main goals you should set for yourself.
A stone sculpture of Laozi, located north of Quanzhou at the foot of Mount Qingyuan
"There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still."
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Short sentences are difficult to understand if you are not clear about the context.
I would like to know in what context the American president of WWII said this.
I assume, he would say it in a meeting with the general staff during the analysis of the progress of the war.
If so, the best way to stand still is when they achieved peace.
Unfortunately, the world since then, and probably, forever, has never been at total peace, and is always advancing and retreating.
Although, you will agree that no one likes the peace of death.
Image by Ntshuab_Tsab on Pixabay
Halloween day or White Paper Bitcoin day?
https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/halloween-day-or-white-paper-bitcoin-day-b7c846d7
Yesterday was a special day for the crypto-verse: the day of the Bitcoin White Paper is celebrated.
Of course, it's masked by Halloween. In fact, I think Satoshi Nakamoto had a good reason to upload it on this curious and esoteric date for many.
However, apart from any mysterious interpretation, I think it was a symbolic way to lash out against the system he wanted to change.
What do you think about it?
The image is from Agata on Pixabay and edited by me.
"If one way is better than another, that you may be sure is nature's way."
Aristotle
Undoubtedly, the Macedonian sage was also a naturalist.
Perhaps, if he lived in our days he would be protesting the effects that man has caused on nature with his current lifestyle.
Well, the records found by science reveal that man has always impacted nature for better or worse.
In fact, I think that with all his artificiality, man and his culture are still one more expression of nature.
So the sentence of the Hellenic sage is still valid.
Image by arrpaleo on Pixabay
Offline Writing: An Almost Forgotten Experience
https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/offline-writing-an-almost-forgotten-experience-f1f7a973
Writing the old-fashioned way is a delight that I found again after almost twelve hours without electricity in my region.
Well, testing my skills without the support of all the features of modern processors is an indication of how versatile and seasoned a writer you are.
Yes, I was up against myself. I think I'm a better writer now than I was before.
Suspected it's the effect of continually interacting with computer tools.
Well even writing in English is a real challenge if I had to write offline.
I recommend writing the old-fashioned way more often.
Image Venita Oberholster on Pixabay
Behind USDC: Circle, a company to watch out for
https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/behind-usdc-circle-a-company-to-watch-out-for-58312c46
There are companies that go unnoticed by the general public, and Circle is one of them.
Well, at least to me.
By the time you find out, sometimes it ends up being too late to do anything about it.
Circle is the company behind USDC, one of the two stablecoins that snuck into the Top Five of crypto verse market capitalization.
Interestingly, a Stablecoin is not, in essence, a pure cryptocurrency, even though it runs on a Blockchain.
In fact, one can find a version of the same stablecoin on more than one Blockchain, especially those that support smart contracts where DEFIs operate.
I think USDC is more dangerous than the libertarian cryptocurrency specialists believe.
So pay attention to this, one of the precursors of CDBCs.
Image by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay
"I will not be concerned at other men's not knowing me; I will be concerned at my own want of ability."
Confucius
You may have read the four books of Confucius, the Chinese sage.
Well, I read it on occasion. So testifies my library. But try as I might remember his teachings, my mind goes blank.
For example, I didn't remember this quote that my random dating app brought me.
Truly, our brain system is weak, or our learning is very defective. So I will work on this stage of my life on it.
As for Confucius' advice, it is good to follow it. Imagine, the transcendence of his thought still surprises us. For a person who advised such a thing, he is more than known.
Image by ErikaWittlieb on Pixabay
"A house divided against itself cannot stand."
Abraham Lincoln
Although the quote is here attributed to the unfortunate and famous American president of the 19th century assassinated while watching a play. It is necessary to clarify that the quote is based on biblical passages. In this sense, the evangelists Matthew and Mark relate how Jesus of Nazareth, by means of this phrase, distorted the attack against him by attributing his wonders and miracles to satanic origin.
The president not only had a name of Judeo-Christian origin (Abraham), but he also knew the scriptures.
I wonder in what context Abraham Lincoln would say it.
Image by Dayron Villaverde on Pixabay
The writer: the thought's bricklayer
https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/the-writer-the-thoughts-bricklayer-79439e02
Today, I wanted to talk about some tools that help the modern writer, but I ended up rambling on about the writer's craft based on a comparison with the work of bricklayers.
Well! Another time I'll write about the free software tools I'm exploring for a writing project I have in mind.
However, my ramblings may resonate with you if you are inclined toward the fascinating craft of writing.
Image by AB_s on Pixabay
